Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) and Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) take over the top spots in their respective weight categories in the United World Wrestling rankings for freestyle in February.

Ramonov won an early season showdown of former and reigning world champions with Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 8-7, at the Medved Prizes tourney to step from No.5 to the head of the pack at 65kg.

Meanwhile, also in Minsk, five-time world champion Gatsalov defeated current world champ Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the quarterfinals and then held on for a 3-1 win over 2014 world titlist Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) in the semifinals to vault to the top of the 97kg rankings.

Gatsalov, who wrestled on-and-off a couple of years at 125kg, won the gold medal at the World Military Games in his apparent return to 97kg last October. Beginning 2016 ranked at No.16, the 33-year-old warrior rode his mastery of the two younger world champs to the top of the rankings. 

Gatsalov’s 15-place leap in the rankings was the biggest of the month, followed by Meysam NASIRI (IRI) who vaulted 13 places to No.7 after winning the Asian title at 65kg and by BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) who went from unranked to No.8 after winning the 65kg crown at Yasar Dogu.

57kg – Paris Grand Prix titlist Reza ATRANAGHARCHI (IRI) added the Medved Prizes crown to his resume to vault from No.17 to ninth in the rankings.

Top-ranked Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) was tripped up by 2013 world champion Bekhan GOGEREEV (RUS), 6-6, in the 61kg semifinals in Minsk but remains freestyle’s top bantamweight.

1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – Asia No.2 (6)
5. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (4)
6. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – GGP Final No.2 (5)
7. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – World No.5 (7)
8. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – Pan American Games No.1 (8)
9. Reza ATRANAGHARCHI (IRI) – Medved Prizes No.1 (17)
10. Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (9)
11. Younes SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (10)
12. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (12)
13. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (not ranked)
14. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)
15. Tomar SANDEEP (IND) – Asia No.1 (nr)
16. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (14)
17. Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (11)
18. Sam HAZEWINKEL (USA) – Pan America No.1 (nr)
19. Adama DIATTA (SEN) – All-African Games No.1 (18)
20. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – European Games No.3 (17)

61kg – Defending champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) cruises to the Asian championships crown to vault from No.15 to fifth in the rankings while London 2012 bronze medalist Coleman SCOTT (USA) breezed through three wins for the Pan American crown and No.20 in the rankings.

1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – World No.1 (1)
2. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – World No.3 (3)
3. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1@57 (4)
4. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – World No.3 (5)
5. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (15)
6. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (6)
7. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) – World No.2 (2)
8. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)
9. Imam ADZHIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (8)
10. Masakazu KAMOI (JPN) – World No.5 (9)
11. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (11)
12. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.2 (19)
13. Mehran NASIRIFRANCHALI (IRI) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (nr)
14. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) – European Games No.2 (10)
15. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – World No.5 (12)
16. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) – GPP Final No.2 (14)
17. Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) – Ukraine Int’l (17)
18. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.5 (13)
19. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (16)
20. Coleman SCOTT (USA) – Pan American No.1 (nr)

65kg – Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) won the duel of world champions at the Medved Prizes to reclaim the top spot at 65kg over Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), while BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) sandwiched the Yasar Dogu crown between bronze medals at the Paris Grand Prix and Asian championships to leap from unranked to No.8.

1. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
2. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) – Medved Prizes No.2 (1)
3. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) – World No.2 (2)
4. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
5. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) – European Games No.1 (4)
6. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (6)
7. Meysam NASIRI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (20)
8. BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)
9. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Dan Kolov No.1@70 (12)
10. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (10)
11. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (8)
12. Logan STIEBER (USA) – Medved Prizes No.3 (17)
13. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.3 (7)
14. Alibeggadzhi EMEEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (11)
15. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (12)
16. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (18)
17. Brent METCALF (USA) – Pan Am Games No.1 (13)
18. Anthony MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN) – Pan America No.1 (nr)
19. George BUCUR (ROU) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (15)
20. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (nr)

70kg – Former national team member for Russia Adam BATIROV (BRN) gave Bahrain its first-ever international wrestling champion at the Asian Championships in Bangkok to join the rankings at No.15.

1. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.3 (3)
3. James GREEN (USA) – World No.3 (4)
4. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (5)
5. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (7)
6. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)
7. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (9)
8. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (10)
9. Gadjimurad OMAROV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)
10. Zurabi IAKOBASHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.1 (nr)
11. Aaron PICO (USA) – Medved Prizes No.3 (nr)
12. Khabib MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.3 (nr)
13. David TLASHADZE (GEO) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (11)
14. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (nr)
15. Adam BATIROV (BRN) – Asia No.1 (nr)
16. Muhammad NADERI – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)
17. Khusey SUYUNCHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (13)
18. Rasul ARSANALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (14)
19. Frank MOLINARO (USA) – Pan America No.1 (21)
20. BUYANJAV Batzorig (MGL) – Asia No.3 (nr)

74kg – Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), the 70kg world champion in 2014, climbs six rungs to No.3 with a win at the Medved Prizes while the runner-up in Minsk, Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) moves from the second position at 70kg to No.8 as a welterweight.

1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – World No.3 (2)
3. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (9)
4. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – World No.2 (3)
5. Narasingh YADAV (IND) – World No.3 (4)
6. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Pan America No.1 (7)
7. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (6)
8. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – Medved Prizes No.2 (2@70)
9. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (12)
10. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Medved Prizes No.3 (11)
11. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – GGP Final No.1 (6@70)
12. Alireza GHASEMI (IRI) – Ziolkowski No.1 (5)
13. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – European Games No.3 (8)
14. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (13)
15. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Paris GP No.1 (10)
16. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (16)
17. Zaur MAKIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (14)
18. Muslim DADAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (15)
19. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Ukraine Int’l (20)
20. Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) – Pan America No.2 (nr)

86kg – World and Olympic Games bronze medalist Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) won the Asian title in Bangkok to climb to No.7 in the rankings while 2013 world champion Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) won at home to improve to No.9.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (3)
4. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – World No.3 (4)
5. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (5)
6. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (6)
7. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (9)
8. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Asia No.2 (13)
9. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (10)
10. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (14)
11. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Pan America No.2 (12)
12. Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) – Medved Prizes No.1 (18)
13. Magomedhadshi KHATIEV (AZE) – World No.5 (7)
14. Mikhail GANEV (BUL) – World No.5 (8)
15. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (nr
16. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)
17. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.3 (nr)
18. Piotr IANULOV (MDA) – European Games No.2 (15)
19. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) – European Games No.3 (16)
20. Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (17)

97kg – Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) knocked off the two latest heavyweight world champions at the Medved Prizes and vaults from No.16 all the way to the top of the rankings at 97kg. A fourth world champion, Reza YAZDANI (IRI) won the Asia crown in Bangkok to climb from 14th to No.8.

1. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (16)
2. Kyle SNYDER (USA) – Medved Prizes No.3 (1)
3. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.2 (2)
4. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – World No.3 (3)
5. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – GGP Final No.1 (4)
6. Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) – World No.3 (5)
7. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (9)
8. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (14)
9. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (15)
10. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (6)
11. Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN) – Pan America No.1 (12)
12. Abbas TAHAN (IRI) – Paris GP No.3 (7)
13. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)
14. Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (10)
15. Jakob VARNER (USA) – Yarygin GP No.2 (11)
16. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (15)
17. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (nr)
18. Adlan IBRAGIMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (17)
19. James BERGMAN (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (18)
20. Fatih YASARLI (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

125kg – World bronze medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) stopped 2014 world runner-up Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) in the semifinals of the Medved Prizes to climb to No.2 in the rankings, while Ghasemi’s rival Parviz HADI (IRI) was winning his fourth Asian title to edged up to No.4.  Paris Grand Prix winner Ghasemi remains at No.7.

1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.1 (3)
3. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
4. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (6)
5. Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) – World No.3 (4)
6. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM) – World No.5 (5)
7. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (7)
8. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – Paris GP No.3 (8)
9. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – Dan Kolov No.1 (9)
10. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (20)
11. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (11)
12. Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (13)
13. Anzor KHIRZIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (14)
14. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (18)
15. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – European Games No.2 (10)
16. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – Ramzan Kadyrov No.1 (11)
17. Luis VIVENES (VEN) – Paris GP No.2 (15)
18. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – Paris GP No.3 (16)
19. Said GAMIDOV (AZE) – Medved Prizes No.2 (nr)
20. Dominique BRADLEY (USA) – Pan America No.1 (nr)