April 2020 Russian Men's Freestyle Rankings

Photo courtesy of Kadir Caliskan/United World Wrestling

57 KG

2017 Junior World runner-up Ismail Gadzhiev won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over 2019 Yusup Abdusalamov tournament runner-up Salikh Muradov. 2019 Russian national champ #5 Ramiz Gamzatov wrestled at the NCFD up at 61 KG and lost to eventual runner-up Tamerlan Karaev  and took 5th after injury defaulting out for bronze. #6 Alexander Sabanov took fifth up at 61 KG for the NCFD after losses to eventual champ #8(61) Artem Gebek and Rakhman Mintullaev.

61 KG

#8 Artem Gebek won the NCFD over #9 Tamerlan Karaev. #8 Gebek also beat 57 KG Alans bronze medalist #6(57) Alexander Sabanov as well. Tamerlan Karaev enters the rankings at #10 for beating 2019 57 KG national champ #5(57) Ramiz Gamzatov 9-3. #3 Abasgadzhi Magomedov put together a great run at the Musa Azaev cup defeating #4 Shamil Omarov, #5 Magomed Magomedov, and #7 Ibragim Abdurakhmanov. #4 Shamil Omarov avenged his loss to Abdurakhmanov from the Yarygin in January with a win in the bronze medal match. I bumped up Omarov two points ahead from 6 to 4 because he has wins over Chimba, Magomed Magomedov, and just avenged his Abdurakhmanov makes him the clear #4 guy at the weight compared to the former #4 Kezhik Chimba who’s only big win was Abdurakhmanov in the bronze medal match at the Yarygin when Abdurakhmanov was coming off the Omarov win. Former ninth ranked Eduard Grigorev, a 2017 Intercontinental Cup runner-up has been dropped from the rankings as he now competes for Poland. Joining the rankings is NCFD bronze medalist Rakhman Mintullaev who pinned #6 Alexander Sabanov to take bronze.

65 KG

Zaghir Shakiev won the NCFD over Kasum Kasumov. Taking bronze up a weight was #4 (61) Shamil Omarov. No changes in the rankings. 

70 KG

2019 Intercontinental Cup champ #7 Aznaur Tavaev won the NCFD by forfeit over 2x U-23 world bronze medalist #10 (65) Islam Dudaev. No changes in the rankings.

74 KG

2017 70 KG national runner-up #10 Magomed Dibirgadzhiev won NCFD over Rasul Shapiev. No changes in the rankings. 

79 KG

2018 74 KG Ali Aliyev champ & 2019 Alans bronze medalist Akhmed Usmanov scored a strong win over 2019 nationals bronze medalist #7 Khalid Yakhiev to win the NCFD and return to the rankings at #9. He could be higher but his losses at the weight to Malik Shavaev and Asludin Magomedov keep him from being higher.

86 KG

#10 Khabib Gadzhiev beat #6 Zaur Makiev to win the NCFD to rise up in the rankings to #6 while Makiev drops one spot to #7.

92 KG

#7 Tazhudin Mukhtarov won his second NCFD title, his first coming last year at 97 KG, with a win in the finals over Said Akhmadov. #5(86) Magomedsharif Biikaev took bronze. No changes in the rankings.

97 KG

2018 nationals bronze medalist #8 Zainulla Kurbanov won the NCFD over Magomed Tagirov. #10 Aslanbek Gazzaev took 5th. Gadzhimagomed Tazhmudinov takes his spot at #10 for beating him in the bronze medal match. 

125 KG

#5 Magomedgadzhi Nurasulov won the NCFD over 2017 nationals bronze medalist Adlan Ibragimov and also beat #10 Atsamaz Tebloev who took bronze with a pin over Zaur Kozonov. No changes to the rankings. 

P4P

Reigning two time 74 KG world champ and national champ #2 Zaurbek Sidakov ascends to the top spot in the rankings over defending 5x World/Olympic and national champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev. The reasoning for this is that Sidakov has beaten the likes of #9 Khetik Tsabolov, #10 Magomed Kurbanaliev, and #21 Timur Bizhoev to keep on top of the weight, while Sadulaev’s best competition across 86 and 97 (the two weights he’s won national titles at, not counting his early year stint in 2018 at 92 KG) have been #21 Dauren Kurugliev, #22 Vladislav Valiev, #23 Batras Gazzaev, and Vladislav Baitsaev. This disparity in depth domestically rings just as true internationally, so while Sadulaev’s dominance has been absolutely stunning it has been over an objectively worse field comparative to running the gauntlet twice and coming out on top at 74 KG.

I put #18 Magomed Kurbanaliev up nine spots to #9 because he avenged his loss to #20 Timur Bizhoev from November at the Yarygin in January and his only domestic losses since last year are to Bizhoev, #1 Sidakov, and #8 Zhamalov. Kurbanaliev is a 2x national champ, a 2016 world champ, won Euros and the Yarygin in 2018, and has wins over the likes of #1 Zaurbek Sidakov, #4 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov, #6 Israil Kasumov, #10 Khetik Tsabolov, #8 Razambek Zhamalov, and #12 Soslan Ramonov. 

I moved up #14 Cherman Valiev up two spots to #14 for his wins over #7 David Baev and #1 (79) Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR). I put in Batras Gazzaev as he is the top heavyweight in Russia winning the Intercontinental Cup, the Kadyrov Cup, and the Alans and has beaten #3 Baldan Tszyhipov, #5 Magomedgadzhi Nurasulov, #8 Alan Khugaev, and #9 Said Gamidov. Yarygin champ and 2018 national champ Batyrbek Tsakulov is back in the rankings at #25 for his wins over #2(92) Alikhan Zhabrailov, #3(92) Radik Nartikoev, #4 (92) Magomed Kurbanov, and #5(92) Anzor Urishev.