The first four world titles were awarded Sunday (14 September) at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Zavur Uguev won his third world title and first at 61kg, defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ahmad Javan decisively, 11-2. Kazakhstan’s Asslyzhan Yessengeldi and Azerbaijan’s Nuraddin Novruzov shared the bronze medal.
In the men’s 70kg freestyle final, Japan’s Aoyagi Yoshinosuke upgraded his 2024 silver in the event to gold, overcoming Mongolia’s Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga, 5-1. The bronze medal winners were Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan and Nurkozha Kaipanov of Kazakhstan.
American Zahid Valencia scored a 12-0 victory over Japan’s Ishiguro Hayato for gold in the 86kg weight class. Valencia won a bronze medal in the 92kg division in 2023.
The 86kg bronze medal went to Kamran Ghasempour of Iran and Arsenii Dzhioev of Azerbaijan.
The final gold of the day went to Iran’s Amir Hossein Zare, who saw off Azerbaijan’s Giorgi Meshvildishvili in the 125kg division. Hossein Zare, a two-time Olympic medallist having won bronze at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024, won 5-0 for his third world championship title.
Poland’s Robert Baran and Bahrain’s Shamil Sharipov rounded out the podium in third.
Competition in Zagreb continues Monday (15 September) with gold medals up for grabs in the 79kg, 92kg, 57kg and 74kg freestyle divisions.