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  • Photo: Sam Janicki

    Seth Petarra •

    Photo: Sam Janicki

    2021 World Championship Preview: 79 kg Men's Freestyle

    Jordan Burroughs at the 2021 World Team Trials(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)

    A five-time World/Olympic champion at 74 KG, #1 Jordan Burroughs (USA) makes his Senior world debut at 79 KG after rebounding from a runner-up finish at 74 KG Olympic Trials to Olympic bronze medalist #3 Kyle Dake (USA). While Burroughs career and performance make it a gut reaction to believe he will go unchallenged in Oslo, the American great will have to contend with a surging #3 Radik Valiev (RWF) along with contenders the likes of #7 Nika Kentchadze (GEO), #9 Akhsarbek Gulaev (SVK) and #20 Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (IRI).

    Title Contenders

  • #1 Jordan Burroughs (USA)- 5x World/Olympic champ (‘11,'12,'13,'15,'17), 2018 world bronze medalist, 2019 Dan Kolov champ, 2019 Yasar Dogu champ, 2019 Final X champ, 2019 world bronze medalist, 2021 Matteo Pellicone runner-up, 2021 Olympic trials runner-up, 2021 79 KG U.S. World Team Trials champion Key Wins: Denis Tsargush (2011 world's 2012 Olympics), #3 (74) Kyle Dake (2013 WTT, 2015 WTT, 2017 WTT), #2 Alex Dieringer (2021 U.S. World Team Trials finals), #12 (74) Azamat Nurikov (2019 world's), #1 (86) David Taylor (2014 WTT), Aniuar Geduev (2015 world's), #4 (79) Frank Chamizo (2018 Grapple at the Garden, 2018 world bronze medal match, 2019 Dan Kolov), #16 (74) Khetag Tsabolov (2017 world finals), Ali Shabanov (2013 world's, 2015 Medved, 2017 world's). Key Losses: Denis Tsargush (2014 world's), Nick Marable (2014 Yasar Dogu), #3 (74) Kyle Dake (2017 world team trials, 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials finals), Isaiah Martinez (2019 Final X), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2016 Olympics), Aniuar Geduev (2016 Olympics), Zaurbek Sidakov (2018 world's quarters, 2019 world's), Frank Chamizo (2018 Yasar Dogu finals, 2021 Matteo Pellicone finals)

    With Burroughs being the only person in the bracket with Senior world hardware to his name plus his career as an all-time great at the toughest weight in the world at 74 KG, Burroughs is an obvious frontrunner to win gold here. In the field, Burroughs biggest test is likely to be Russian Nationals bronze medalist #3 Radik Valiev (RWF) who has the length and a strong double leg that could give Burroughs potential issues.

    Medal Contenders

  • #3 Radik Valiev (RUS)-2017 Yarygin 3rd, 2014 Cadet worlds 2nd, 2016 Junior Russian Nationals 2nd, 2018 Yarygin 3rd, 2017 Korkin bronze, 2017 Junior world 5th, 2018 President Cup of Buryatia champ 2018 Ali Aliyev 5th, 2018 U-23 European Champ, 2018 Semenov tournament bronze medalist, 2019 Alans bronze medalist, 2019 U-23 world bronze medalist 2021 Russian Nationals bronze medalist, 2021 Russian Nationals world team trials wrestle offs champion, Key Wins: #4 Gadzhi Nabiyev (2021 Russian world team trials wrestle-offs), #10 Malik Shavaev ( 2019 Russian Nationals qualification round, 2021 Russian world team trials wrestle-offs), Alibek Akbaev(2016 Nationals), Mulid Lamphezhev(2016 Nationals), Khabib Batyrov(2017 Yarygin), Sosuke Takatani(2017 Yarygin), Tazhidin Akaev (2018 Yarygin), Tariel Gaprindashvili (2018 Yarygin), Muhammet Nuri Kotanglu (2018 Yarygin), #11 Khalil Aminov (2018 President Cup of Buryatia, 2021 Russian Nationals quarterfinals), #16 Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev (2021 Russian Nationals bronze medal match) #19 Khalid Yakhiev (2021 Russian Nationals), Alexei Sabidaev (2018 President Cup of Buryatia), Adam Khasiev (2018 Ali Aliyev), Magomed Ramazanov (2018 Ali Aliyev), Johnny Bur (2018 U-23 European Championships finals), Muhammet Kucukyildirim (2018 U-23 Euros), Nika Kentchadze (2018 U-23 Euros) Key Losses: #1 (74) Zaurbek Sidakov(2016 70 KG Nationals), Atsamaz Sanakoev(2017 Yarygin, 2019 Russian Nationals quarterfinals), Kakhaber Khubezhty (2019 Russian Nationals bronze medal match), David Tlashadze(2016 World Cup), Adam Khasiev(2016 Yarygin), Mason Manville(2014 Cadet world finals), Mark Hall (2017 Junior Worlds), Mohammd Mottaghinia (2017 Junior Worlds), #6 (86) Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov (2018 Yarygin, 2018 Russian Nationals round of 16), #11 (74) Nikita Suchkov (2017 Korkin), Evgeni Lapshov (2017 Vladimir Semenov tournament) Bolat Sakaev (2017 Vladimir Semenov tournament), Ibragim Yusubov (2018 Ali Aliyev semis), #11 Khalil Aminov (2018 Semenov), #10 Malik Shavaev (2021 Russian Nationals semifinals), #5 (86) Magomed Ramazanov (2020 86 KG Russian Nationals round of 16)

  • #9 Akhsarbek Gulaev (SVK)- 2021 European Champion, 2021 Ziolkowski champion, 2019 U-23 European Championships runner-up, 2017 74 KG U-23 world runner-up, 2019 Yasar Dogu runner-up, 2017 74 KG Junior European championships bronze medalist, 2018 74 KG International Ukrainian Tournament bronze medalist, 2018 74 KG U-23 European championships runner-up, 2017 74 KG Korkin bronze medalist Key Wins: #7 Nika Kentchadze (2021 European championships semifinals), Giorgi Sulava (2019 74 KG U-23 European championships), Vasyl Mykhailov (2017 74 KG U-23 world championships), Rashid Kurbanov (2021 Ziolkowski finals). Key Losses: #2 Alex Dieringer (2019 Yasar Dogu finals), #8 Magomed Magomaev (2021 Medved finals), #4 Gadzhi Nabiev (2017 74 KG U-23 world finals), #6 (74) Timur Bizhoev (2018 74 KG U-23 world bronze medal match), #8 (74) Avtandil Kentchadze (2018 74 KG U-23 world championships), #1 (74) Zaurbek Sidakov (2018 74 KG U-23 European championships finals), #11 (74) Nikita Suchkov (2019 74 KG U-23 European championships finals), #15 (74) Soner Demirtas (2018 74 KG Senior world championships), Mohammad Mottaghinia (2017 74 KG Junior world championships round of 16)

  • #7 Nika Kentchadze (GEO)- 2021 European Championships bronze medalist, 2018 U-23 world champion, 2021 Medved runner-up, 2018 U-23 European championships bronze medalist, 2021 International Ukrainian Tournament champion, 2021 Henri Deglane Grand Prix champion, 2019 European championships bronze medalist, 2019 Dan Kolov bronze medalist. Key Wins: #4 Gadzhi Nabiev (2018 U-23 world championships finals), Omarashkab Nazhmudinov (2018 U-23 world championships), #10 Malik Shavaev (2021 European championships), #18 (74) Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2021 International Ukrainian Tournament), Saifedine Alekma (2021 Henri Deglane Grand Prix Finals), Zelimkhan Khadjiev (2019 Dan Kolov), #8 Magomed Magomaev (2021 Medved semifinals) Key Losses: #3 Radik Valiev (2018 U-23 European championships), #9 Akhsarbek Gulaev (2021 European Championships semifinals), Grigor Grigoryan (2019 world championships), #2 Alex Dieringer (2019 Dan Kolov semifinals), #6 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov (2021 Medved finals), Jabrayil Hasanov (2019 European Championships, 2020 European Championships), Rustam Magomedov (2017 74 KG Junior European Championships finals)

    #3 Radik Valiev (RWF) has established himself far and away as the best man in this group over the past quad, and save for some horrible officiating or coming in injured he should be seen as the consensus #2 behind Burroughs. Gulaev beat Kentchadze in the semifinals of the European championships on his way to gold but has recently taken a fall in the rankings for losing to 2020 Junior Russian national champion #10 Magomed Magomaev (RWF). Gulaev is defensively stingy and has solid match IQ but doesn't really break out against the elites of the weight (read; elite 74's who moved up) and #7 Nika Kentchadze (GEO) has a strong offensive arsenal but poor match I.Q. and starting slow has cost him big matches in the past and I don't see it as a pattern correcting against the likes of one of the greatest middleweights of all time in Jordan Burroughs.

    Dark Horse

  • #20 Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (IRI)- 2021 Junior World champion, 2021 Yasar Dogu champion, 2019 74 KG U-23 world runner-up, 2019 74 KG Asian championships bronze medalist, 2017 69 KG Cadet world bronze medalist, 2018 71 KG Cadet Asian champion. Key Wins: Murad Kuramagomedov (2019 74 KG U-23 world championships), Byambadorj Bat-Erdene (2019 74 KG U-23 world championships), Baliyan Gourav (2021 Junior World championships), Ashraf Ashirov (2021 Junior World Finals), Hamidreza Zarinpeykar (2021 Yasar Dogu finals), Muhammet Kotanoglu (2021 Yasar Dogu semifinals). Key Losses: #5 (74) Razambek Zhamalov (2019 74 KG U-23 world finals), Amit Dhankar (2019 74 KG Asian championships), David Carr (2019 74 KG Junior world championships), David Betanov (2019 74 KG Junior world championships).

    #20 Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (IRI) is coming off gold at the Junior world championships and has a past runner-up finish at the 2019 U-23 world championships with wins over Senior talent Byambadorj Bat-Erdene (MGL) and Murad Kuramagomedov (HUN) Nokhodilarimi looks to be part of the second wave of Iranian talent along with 61 KG Junior world champ #9 (61) Rahman Amouzadkhalili and 86 KG Amirhossein Firouzpourbandpei. I'm not immediately sold on him against Burroughs or Valiev, but the rest of the field I feel Nokhodilarimi more than keeps it close.
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