#UWWAwards

UWW Most Dominant Wrestlers 2025: Amouzad, Motoki, Esmaeili

Thursday, December 25, 2025 - 11:08 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 24) -- There were several dominant performances in 2025 on the wrestling mat. But it was three wrestlers who remained at the top of their weight classes and racked up dominant wins one after another. Two were Olympic champions while one was an Olympic silver medalist. All three became world champions in Zagreb.

Freestyle Most Dominant Wrester: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)

- 14–0
- Rank 1 at 65kg 
- 58,000 RS points 
- Outscored world and Olympic medalists 42–4
- World Championships, Tirana RS and ISG golds

Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) was about as perfect as you could be in a season, returning to prominence with title-winning efforts at the World Championships, Islamic Solidarity Games and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event and finishing the season as the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world at 65kg with 58,000 Ranking Series points.

The Paris silver medalist, collected an unblemished 14-0 record in 2025 -- with five of those wins coming against top-level opponents who have world or Olympic medals on their resumes in Olympic champion Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), Umidjon JALALOV (UZB), Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Real WOODS (USA). The craziest part about those five matches against the world’s best, Amouzad outscored 42-4.

But without a doubt, the highlight of Amouzad’s season came in Zagreb when he finally got his long awaited rematch, beating Kotaro KIYOOKA in a revenge match from the Paris 2024 Olympic finals.

The scariest part about Amouzad’s dominance -- he’s only 23 years old and he’s still getting better.

Women's Wrestling Dominant Wrestler: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)

- 9-0
- Five pins, two technical superiorities
- 45,000 RS points 
- 8/9 bouts finished before regulation
- Completed Golden Grand Slam (U17, U20, U23, Senior World and Olympic gold)

Coming into the 2025 season, Motoki made her goals crystal clear -- become the third wrestler in history of the sport to win wrestling’s Golden Grand Slam -- and for those who don’t know, that is gold medals at the U17, U20, U23, Senior World Championships and the Olympic Games.

The only two missing from the Olympic champ's resume were the U23 and Senior World golds.

At the 2025 U23 and senior World Championships, Motoki showed that she’s in a league of her own, as she went 9-0, with eight  matches finishing before time expired. She scored five falls and two technical superiority wins.

Her win in the final of the World Championships will be one that will be talked about for ages as the most dramatic win of the season. Motoki scored a buzzer-beating takedown against Ok Ju KIM (PRK) with a 10-second flurry that consisted of a head outside single, arm throw, over-under knee pick, before head locking Kim with four tenths of a second left to keep her history making hopes alive.

In the end, Motoki’s heart and courage under fire helped her close out the year as the third wrestler to complete the Golden Grand Slam and she did it with a level of dominance we may not see again for a very long time.

Greco-Roman Dominant Wrestler: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)

- Rank 1 at 67kg 
- 58,000 RS points  
- 11–0 Record
- World Championships, Asian Championships and  ISG golds

In a 2025 campaign that saw him become a world champion, Esmaeili's season was immaculate, as he cemented his place among the sport’s top pound-for-pound wrestler with a season full of titles, stacking gold-medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships and Islamic Solidarity Games, rounding out the season ranked No. 1 in the world at 67kg.

The Paris Olympic champion remained unbeaten in 2025, winning all 11 bouts of his bouts in dominant fashion -- scoring eight shutout wins, with seven technical falls -- including a pair of 9-0 win against world champions Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) and Sebastian NAD (SRB). The reigning Olympic gold medalist also collected two victories over Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), one in the world final and one in the Islamic Game gold-medal match, where he tossed his Azeri opponent for four as time expired to rob his rival of the title.

His opponents should not ease up because at just 22 years old, Esmaeili is still sharpening his tool set and leveling up his skills.

#Grappling

Alshinbay defends crown in Grappling Gi; Poland wins team title

Friday, October 17, 2025 - 14:09 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 16) -- Coming into the World Grappling Championships, Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) had one goal -- two become a two time world champ.

But he had disappointing start to competition, losing the No-Gi semifinal in Novi Sad, Serbia. He later bounced back to win the bronze medal but his goal was still not achieved.

Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ)Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) celebrates after winning the 58kg final in Grappling Gi. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A day later on Thursday, Alshinbay began his title defense at 58kg in Grappling Gi and won his first bout via submission Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA) to take step closer to the final.

Next up was Joseph DIEHL (USA) in the semifinals but Alshinbay, unbothered, controlled the match from the start and defeated the American grappler 9-3 to book a spot in the final against former U20 world champion ABYLBEKOV (KGZ).

Using his experience, Alshinbay made the final one-sided and used a bow-and-arrow choke to defeat Abylbekov via submission in just three minutes. He claimed his second straight gold medal in Grappling Gi, having won the 2024 world title in his home country Kazakhstan.

At 62kg, after dropping a close final in No-Gi Grappling, Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) bounced back and made sure he did not make any mistakes in Grappling Gi. Temeev was facing Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM) in the final and got the opening control when Kostanyan decided to start in grounding. The control gave Temeev two points.

Temeev decided to keep his control on top even as Kostanyan tried various moves. The referees called Temeev passive twice which costed him two points but he held a 2-2 criteria lead and won the final.

Two more UWW grapplers, Abduragim MAGOMEDOV (UWW) and Idris OMAROV (UWW), won gold medals on Thursday. MAgomedov defeated Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 5-0, in the 77kg final while Omarov defeated Christian FRILLICI (ITA), 5-2, in the 84kg final.

Youngster Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP), who had a disappointing outing in 2024, made amends and defeated Magomed MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 5-3, at 66kg to win the gold medal.

The final began with Magomedov scoring a stepout in standing for one point before Saurez hit a throw to get Magomedov out in standing to make it 1-1 and lead on criteria. Magomedov kept getting control of Saurez who kept stepping out in standing and Magomedov's lead swelled to 3-1.

In the last 30 seconds, Saurez managed to come in a back mount and score via a rear-naked-choke. Though Magomedov did not submit, Saurez got four points for his control which made him a 5-3 winner.

At 92kg, Mateusz MAZUR (POL) was crowned world champion after Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) submitted three minutes into the final.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Razmik MISAKYAN (ARM) df. Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL), 2-0
BRONZE: Joseph DIEHL (USA) df. Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA), via submission (1-0)

62kg
GOLD: Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) df. Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM), 2-2

BRONZE: Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) df. Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW), 1-0
BRONZE: Asher URBAN HOYER (USA) df. Mark BODO (HUN), via submission

66kg
GOLD: Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP) df. Magomed MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Adlan ASUEV (KAZ) df. Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO), via submission
BRONZE: Artur AGASHIRINOV (UWW) df. Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM), via submission (2-2)

77kg
GOLD: Abduragim MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 5-0

BRONZE: Hector SEPULVEDA PALMA (ESP) df. Darkhan TOLYBAYEV (KAZ), 6-4
BRONZE: Dumitru CEBAN (MDA) df. Pavlo MAKSYMCHUK (UKR), 8-4

84kg
GOLD: Idris OMAROV (UWW) df. Christian FRILLICI (ITA), 5-2

BRONZE: Cristian TUGULEA (MDA) df. Kacper ROT (POL), 5-2
BRONZE: Dzhabrail ISRAPILOV (UWW) df. Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ), 5-2

92kg
GOLD: Mateusz MAZUR (POL) df. Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ), via submission (1-3)

BRONZE: Alibek SULEIMANOV (UWW) df. Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU), 3-2
BRONZE: Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP) df. Antonio SALTUPS CARETTO (ITA), 6-2

Women's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alina KOPEIKINA (UWW) df. Magdalena GIEC (POL), via submission (0-2)

BRONZE: Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 2-0
BRONZE: Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA) df. Minerva MONTERO PEREZA (ESP), 6-0

64kg
GOLD: Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP) df. Alsu IANSHINA (UWW), 5-2

BRONZE: Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), 9-0
BRONZE: Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL) df. Renata IAKUBOVA (UWW), 3-2

71kg
GOLD: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Maja SALAMON (POL), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Anna REMNEVA (UWW) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Valentina PAVLOVA (UWW) df. Sandra TRIEBEL (GER), 2-1