Experience Wins Out as Azizli Claims Fifth World Championships Gold

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 25) -- One doesn’t become a five-time world champion without being a bit resourceful, and Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) made the most of the slightest of openings presented by a very tough opponent.

Azizli scored a perfectly time and opportunistic counter from the bottom of par terre, giving him a 3-1 victory over Payam AHMADI (IRI) in the Greco-Roman 55kg final on Sunday, the first day of medal matches at the World Championships in Astana.

“We worked very hard this year; we set our goals and fought for them,” the 34-year-old Azizli said. “I believe that, more than anyone else, I truly wanted to become a world champion again this year.

“As you know, I finished in third place [last year], I personally did not consider that a significant achievement. It wasn’t the result I had truly hoped for. That is why, for a year, we worked, fought, and strove for this.”

In the other Greco finals on Sunday, Koto GOMI (JPN) pulled off the shock of the night, overcoming a 7-1 deficit to stun Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) with a second-period fall at 60kg.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) ended Iran’s dry spell by successfully defending his 82kg title, while the third time was a charm for Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), who finally found the golden lining at 77kg after having to settle twice for silvers.

After his semifinal victory on Saturday, when Azizli knocked off 2025 gold medalist Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), he pledged to retire after capturing his fifth world title. Time will tell if he lives up to that promise, but he showed how experience won out against Ahmadi, who had beaten him 3-1 in the semifinals a year ago in Zagreb and had only turned 20 on Saturday.

“I have actually been continuing my wrestling career for 27 or 28 years now,” Azizli said. “To give you an idea of just how long this career has been: by the time the Georgian and Iranian wrestlers, whom I faced in the semifinals and final, were even born, I was already a European champion. My career has lasted as long as their entire lives.”

Against Ahmadi, Azizli failed to score from the top in par terre in the first period. The Iranian got his chance in the second and, needing to score as he trailed on criteria, he started with a reverse cross-body hold, then moved up to a front headlock.

But that was where the young Iranian made a fatal mistake. As he tried to twist Azizli over, the wily Azeri pulled down on Ahmadi’s shoulders, sending them temporarily to the mat for a 2-point exposure that gave him a 3-1 lead that he never relinquished.

“When I secured the first passivity call, I told myself right there on the mat that I had effectively won 70 to 80 percent of the match,” Azizli said. “My tactic was to ensure, no matter what, that I would be the one to get the first ‘active’ status and score the first point.

“In the worst-case scenario, I would win 1-1. In the final moments, I knew that even if we wrestled for another whole day, I would never have conceded a point to him on that mat.”

Azizli secured his first title in 2018 and then won three straight from 2022 to 2024. He also has three world bronzes, as well as eight European medals, including two golds.

“It is genuinely difficult to put into words,” Azizli said. “But my entire career, in a sense, flashed before my eyes. Coming from Beylagan, from the provinces, training in Baku, facing all those hardships, enduring those losses and finally reaching my goal of becoming a world champion for the fifth time.” 

At 60kg, Gomi completed a run to the gold that included victories over Paris Olympic silver medalist Liguo CAO (CHN) and defending champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) – in front of the latter’s home crowd, no less – and was capped by the most improbable of wins.

Gomi, the 2025 world U23 champion, fell into a 7-1 hole in the first period when Ahmadi Vafa scored a stepout, takedown and two 2-point throws. Ahmadi Vafa then maintained the gap by squirming his way out of two well-executed arm throw attempts by Gomi.

But Gomi noticed that the efforts had taken a toll on Ahmadi Vafa.

“There were parts of the first period that were a bit rough, but I had trained and the opponent had started to get winded,” Gomi said. “Somehow I was able to turn it around.”

In the second period, the 22-year-old waited for the precise moment to strike, hitting the Iranian with an inner arm throw right to his back, then clamped down for the fall in 4:13.

Gomi’s victory gave Japan its eighth world gold in Greco and second in Astana – Paris Olympic champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) won the second of his two world golds in 2019 when the Kazakh capital was called Nursultan.

It also prevented Ahmadi Vafa, an Asian bronze medalist this year, from joining the “grand slam” club, having already won world golds on the U17, U20 and U23 age-group levels.

Ironically, Gomi only landed his ticket to Astana after Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), who defeated him in a national team playoff, opted to only compete at the recent Asian Games held in Japan.

Looking ahead, Gomi will now have to contend with Fumita, Suzuki and a number of others as the qualifying process for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics begins at this year’s All-Japan Championships in December.

“The senior championships is the biggest and strongest tournament and I’m glad to have won, but there are still many other strong competitors in Japan, so I have to keep practicing and not let this go to my head,” Gomi said.

After seeing his two Iranian compatriots go down to defeat, Farokhi stayed patient and kept his composure before scoring the winning points in the second period to down Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) 7-1 and retain his 82kg crown.

Trailing 1-1 on criteria after the two traded passivity points, Farokhi was on the verge of being forced out when he suddenly reached under and unleashed a counter body lift for 4 with 1:50 remaining that stunned Saricicek and left him slapping the mat in frustration.

With the clock ticking off and all of his efforts repelled, Saricicek gave up the fight with several seconds left, earning him a 2-point penalty that only padded Farokhi’s margin of victory.

In the final bout of the night, Suleymanov continued his dominance of Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), grinding out a well-earned 8-3 victory to make the top step of the 77kg podium at last.

“I have truly dreamed of becoming a world champion for a long time,” Suleymanov said. “Honestly, I can’t even find the words to express how I feel right now. I am just so incredibly happy to be a world champion.”

Suleymanov, the silver medalist in 2021 and 2023, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period with a passivity point, 2-point throw and unsuccessful challenge point.

In the second period, Suleymanov was on the bottom of par terre when he maneuvered for a front headlock, from which he scored a pair of 2-point exposures. His side challenged to turn the second one into a 4-point move, but it was denied, giving Gutu a free point to make it 8-2.

Gutu managed a late stepout, but never really challenged as he was dealt his fourth loss in four career meetings with Suleymanov over a five-year span.

“There have been so many hardships, so much hard work, and so many injuries over the years, things that no one else knew about or saw,” Suleymanov said. “There were times when I was in great form, yet I still ended up losing. But... I never
lost my drive. And today, I’ve finally become a world champion.”

By claiming the silver, the always-entertaining Gutu still had the satisfaction of taking home his first medal in four trips to the World Championships.

2 dethroned champions, Makhmudov take home bronzes

In the bronze-medal matches, dethroned champions Lolua and Sultangali came back to assure they wouldn’t leave the Barys Arena empty-handed.

At 55kg, Lolua overwhelmed Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL) 10-0, reeling off two gut wrenches before tossing his opponent for 4 to clinch the victory at 1:55.

Moments earlier, Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ) assured the first medal of the tournament would go to the home team, quickly defeating LALIT (IND) 9-0 to win the other 55kg bronze.

Kurbayev got started with 4-point headlock and, after Lalit managed to squirm his way to his knees, the Kazakh never hesitated and went around front to launch a 4-point throw that ended the match at 1:28.

At 60kg, Sultangali scored all of his points in the first period, including a 2-point exposure and stepout, to defeat Liguo CAO (CHN) 5-1. The victory gave Sultangali his fourth career world medal and third bronze dating back to 2018.

In the other 60kg match, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) needed just 30 seconds to add a bronze to the silver medal he took home from Zagreb last year when he stormed to a 10-0 rout of Abdolmohammad PAPI (GER).

Starting with a 4-point takedown, Ganiev quickly added a gut wrench before putting the cherry on top with a slick 4-point throw.

At 77kg, Asian silver medalist Ali OSKOU (IRI) eked out a 4-3 victory over Asian bronze medalist Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), repeating his victory from a bronze-medal match at the 2024 World U23 Championships.

Oskou scored all of his points in the first period on a 2-point caution, lost challenge and a stepout. Nakibov had a chance on top in par terre in the second period, but could not convert as Oskou assured that all four Iranians in action Sunday came away with medals.

Shuai MAMEDAU (BLR) claimed the other 77kg bronze, scoring a 4-point throw in the first period before ending the match with a fall in the second over Stoyan KUBATOV (BUL).

At 82kg, Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), a two-time world champion and Olympic medalist at 77kg, added a bronze at the higher weight with a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN).

Makhmudov scored a 4-point throw from a par terre, and that would have made the difference on criteria when Bahejiang gained a pair of gut wrenches during his stint on top in par terre. But the Chinese side lost a challenge, giving Makhmudov the insurance point.

Mihail BRADU (MDA) earned his first world medal with a 3-3 win on last-point criteria over Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) for the other 82kg bronze.

After Gadzhiev scored 2 from par terre, Bradu matched it during his turn in the second period to secure the win.

RESULTS

55kg (23 entries)
GOLD: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Payam AHMADI (IRI), 3-1

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL) by TS, 10-0, 1:55
BRONZE: Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ) df. LALIT (IND) by TS, 9-0, 1:28

60kg (24 entries)
GOLD: Koto GOMI (JPN) df. Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) by Fall, 4:13 (5-7)

BRONZE: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Abdolmohammad PAPI (GER) by TS, 10-0, :30
BRONZE: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Liguo CAO (CHN), 5-1

77kg (31 entries)
GOLD: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 8-3

BRONZE: Ali OSKOU (IRI) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 4-3
BRONZE: Shuai MAMEDAU (BLR) df. Stoyan KUBATOV (BUL) by Fall, 4:32 (6-1)

82kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR), 7-1

BRONZE: Mihail BRADU (MDA) df. Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS), 3-3
BRONZE: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN), 6-5