The 2025 Senior World Championships will take place in Zagreb, Croatia, from September 13 to 21. The 61 kg weight class in men’s freestyle will be in the first group of weight classes wrestled at worlds this year on September 14 and 15. Team USA’s Jax Forrest is making his world championship debut in a deep field that includes world/Olympic champion Zavur Uguev and world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov. Check out the article below for a full breakdown, along with our medal predictions, for 61 kg at this year’s World Championships.

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61 kg World Championship Rankings

The above rankings are based on results from head-to-head matchups. United World Wrestling seeds off of Rankings Points accumulated over the past year at the Olympics, Continental Championships, and Ranking Series Tournaments. Check out the full 2025 World Championship Rankings Here.

61 kg World Championship Seeds

1. Zavur Uguev, RUS
2. Giorgi Goniashvili, GEO
3. Takara Suda, JPN
4. Udit Udit, IND
5. Leomid Colesnic, MDA
6. Dmitry Shamela, BLR
7. Nils Leutert, SUI
8. Joshua Kramer, ECU

The Favorite

• Zavur Uguev, RUS

Three-time world and Olympic champion Zavur Uguev is currently ranked #1 in the world at 61 kg and will be the favorite to bring home gold. Uguev failed to medal at last year’s World Championships after losing to Masanosuke Ono and Vito Arujau. However, Uguev looks better adapted to the 61 kg weight class this year, and his been on an impressive run since last October. Since Worlds, Uguev has won the Yarygin, the European Championships, and Russian Nationals while recording victories over Arsen Harutyunyan, Gulomjon Abdullaev, Muslim Mekhtikhanov, and several other top wrestlers in the world at 61 kg. Uguev is by far the most experienced wrestler in the bracket and will look to use that experience to win his first world title at 61 kg. 

Uguev's win over Harutyunyan in the 2025 Euro Finals:

Gold Contenders

• Zelimkhan Abakarov, ALB
• Takara Suda, JPN

The above two wrestlers enter the World Championships with the best chance of winning gold after Uguev. Of any wrestler in the field, Zelimkhan Abakarov is the only wrestler who currently holds a win over Uguev. That victory came back at the 2023 World Championships when Abakarov defeated Uguev in the 57 kg bronze medal match, 4-4. Outside of that victory, Abakarov won a 57 kg World title in 2022, where he defeated Thomas Gilman in the finals. Abakarov also boasts a win over Vito Arujau from the Budapest Ranking Series tournament in July of 2023. Though Abakarov failed to medal at the Olympics last year, he’s consistently been one of the best wrestlers in the world at 57 kg and 61 kg over the past few years, and if he’s wrestling his best this year, no one should be surprised if he brings home another world title.

Abakarov's win over Uguev in the bronze medal match at 2023 Worlds:

With 2024 World Champion Masanosuke Ono taking the year off, Takara Suda will represent Japan this year at 61 kg. While he’s not Ono, Suda has quickly established himself as one of the best wrestlers in the world after winning the 2025 Asian Championships and the Ranking Series tournament in Albania and Hungary. In those competitions, Suda recorded victories over Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (5-3), Assylzhan Yessengeldi (4-3), Udit (6-4), Ahmad Javan (2-2), Nachyn Mongush (8-8), and Artem Gobaev (9-2). Though some of those matches were close, Suda has proven he can win at the highest level. He’s also a very complete wrestler, possessing lightning-quick leg attacks to both sides of the body along with world-class par terre offense. Suda has the skills to defeat anyone in this bracket and will look to extend Japan’s lightweight dominance in Zagreb.

Suda's win over Udit in the 2025 Asian Finals:

Medal Contenders

• Jax Forrest, USA
• Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu, KGZ
• Assylzhan Yessengeldi, KAZ
• Ahmad Javan, IRI
• Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg, MGL

The above four wrestlers all fall in the group of competitors that I expect to challenge for a medal, but would be surprised to see them come away with gold. Jax Forrest leads this group after defeating world champion Vito Arujau to make Team USA. Beyond that victory, Forrest also recorded impressive tech fall wins over Seth Gross, who placed 5th at Worlds in 2022, and Nahshon Garrett. At only 18 years old, Forrest has made remarkable improvements over the past year in every area of his wrestling. In the past, Forrest was largely dependent on his slide-by and dump to score from neutral. However, he has now developed a variety of leg attacks that were on full display at the US Open and in his two wins against Arujau. Combine that with his world-class scrambling ability, and Forrest has the point-scoring potential to defeat anyone in the world at 61 kg. While I believe this about Forrest, I still question whether or not he’ll be able to run the gauntlet against everyone in this bracket.

Forrest's wins over Vito Arujau:

Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu is one of the more dynamic wrestlers in this bracket and is dangerous from unconventional positions. He has potent upper-body attacks that allow him to end any match with a pin. Zhumashbek Uulu won a world bronze medal in 2023 and boasts wins over Nahshon Garrett, Ahmet Duman, Udit, Emra Ormanoglu, Bekzat Almaz Uulu, and several other top 20-ranked wrestlers in the world. While Zhumashbek Uulu is dangerous, he sometimes struggles to generate offense against defensively sound wrestlers. Because of that, I’d be surprised if he reaches the finals in Zagreb. 

Zhumashbek Uulu's win in the bronze medal match at the 2023 World Championships:

Assylzhan Yessengeldi won a U23 world silver medal in 2023 and has inserted himself as a contender this year after placing 5th at the Yasar Dogu and winning bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series Tournament. In those competitions, Yessengeldi defeated Seth Gross (10-0), Dylan Shawver (4-3), Giorgi Goniashvili (10-0), and Bayram Ilhan. However, he also suffered defeats against Udit (13-6), Sardor Ruzimov (4-2), and Takara Suda (4-3). Yessengeldi has a potent single leg to leg lace that can be a match-changer against any wrestler in the bracket. Yessengeldi will be an underdog against the top 4 in this weight, but with the right draw, he can make a run to a medal match.

Yessengeldi's win over Seth Gross:

Ahmad Javan is another wrestler in the field who should be considered a medal threat. Javan lost a close, and somewhat controversial, match at the Asian Championships (2-2). Javan went on to win a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and also won the Zagreb Open in February. Along with those finishes, Javan boasts wins this year over Ebrahim Khari, Nahshon Garrett, Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg, and Giorgi Goniashvili. Javan is solid in all positions and wrestles a hard pace from start to finish. Similar to the other wrestlers in this field, I don’t think he has what it takes to win gold, but he’s a solid medal threat. 

Javan's win over Nahshon Garrett at the 2025 Zagreb Open:

Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg is the final wrestler in this category who has proven enough to be considered a medal threat. Tumenbileg won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships and has been in and out of the top 20 in the world since then. Tumenbileg didn’t place at the Asian Championships this year, but he went on to win the Mongolia Open in May in a deep field while recording wins over Udit, Zanabazar Zandanbud, and Anzor Mazhidov. Tumenbileg is an experienced wrestler with a host of significant wins under his belt. He might be slightly past his prime, but he’s still a dangerous wrestler in this field.

Tumenbileg's win over Udit in the Mongolia Open finals:

Sleepers & Landmines

• Kamil Kerymov, UKR
• Emrah Ormanoglu, TUR
• Udit, IND

The above group of wrestlers all fall in the category of competitors that I’d be surprised to see in a medal match, but have shown the potential of upsetting one of the contenders. Ukraine’s Kamil Kerymov is fresh off a gold medal performance at the Ziolkowski in Poland, where he defeated Vito Arujau in the finals. Beyond that win Kerymov won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in 2022. Prior to the win over Arujau, Kerymov was wrestling predominantly at 57 kg and didn’t have the results to suggest he’d be a factor at Worlds. However, the recent win over Arujau shows just how dangerous Kerymov can be when he’s wrestling his best. 

Kerymov's win over Roberti Dingashvili:

Türkiye’s Emrah Ormanoglu won a bronze medal at U23 Worlds in 2022 and has been on the cusp of breaking into the top 10 on the senior level. Ormanoglu has wrestled Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu three times over the past 2 years and has lost by scores of 5-5, 2-1, and 4-2. Beyond those close losses, Ormanoglu won the Yasar Dogu in June, where he defeated Udit and Recep Topal. Ormanoglu is still looking for his breakthrough performance, and it looks like he’s trending in the right direction. Ormanoglu has an opportunity to make the World Championships his coming-out party.

Ormanoglu's win over Joey Silva:

India’s Udit is still only 20 years old but is already showing incredible potential on the senior level. Udit was a U17 world bronze medalist in 2019 and competed in his first senior world championships last October. Though he failed to place last year, Udit has since won silver medals at both the Asian Championships and the Mongolia Open. In those competitions, Udit defeated Wanhao Zou (2-0), Bekbolat Myrzanazar Uulu (9-6 and 11-0), and Artem Gobaev. He also only lost to Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (6-4) and Takara Suda (6-4). Similar to the other wrestlers in this tier, Udit has wrestled competitively with some of the best wrestlers in the world at 61 kg and will be right in the mix with anyone in this bracket at Worlds.

Udit's win over Wanhao Zou:

61 kg World Championships Predictions

61 kg is a challenging weight class to predict with a mix of established veterans like Uguev, Abakarov, and Harutyunyan, combined with newcomers like Takara Suda and Jax Forrest. Beyond that, several of the top contenders won’t be seeded in this bracket but will be randomly drawn in. Jax Forrest will be one of those wrestlers who will be drawn into this bracket, and while I think he’s capable of bringing home gold, his lack of experience on the senior level makes me hesitate to pick him. With that in mind, Japan’s Takara Suda is my pick for gold. He’s an incredible athlete and has consistently proven this year that he knows how to win on the biggest stages. Regardless of who comes out on top, this will be one of the most exciting weights to watch unfold at the world championships this year!

Full 61 kg Medal Predictions:

Gold - Takara Suda, JPN

Silver - Zavur Uguev, RUS

Bronze - Jax Forrest, USA

Bronze - Zelimkhan Abakarov, ALB