The 2026 Senior World Championships will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 through November 1, and will be streamed live on FloWrestling. After winning world silver last year, Levi Haines Will once again be representing Team USA at 79 kg and will be looking to bring home gold this year against a loaded 79 kg field. Check out the article below to see a full preview, with predictions for this weight at the World Championships.
79 kg World Championship Rankings
View the full World Championship Rankings HERE
*Of note - the World Championship rankings are based on head-to-head match results. The seeds are based on points accumulated at UWW Ranking Series Tournaments, the 2025 World Championships, and the 2025 Continental Championships.
79 kg World Championship Projected Seeds
- Dzhabrail Gadzhiev, AZE
- Suldkhuu Olonbayar, MGL
- Levi Haines, USA
- Mohammad Nokhodi, IRI
- Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, BLR
- Luka Chkhitunidze, GEO
- Michael Labriola, PUR
- Akhsarbek Gulaev, SVK
Title Contenders
- Levi Haines, USA
- Ismail Khaniev, RUS
- Mohammad Nokhodi, IRI
- Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, BLR
The above four wrestlers are the clear title contenders at 79 kg entering the World Championships. Team USA's Levi Haines leads the way as the returning world silver medalist, and Haines is notably riding a 14-match winning streak since losing in last year's World finals. Last year, Haines was incredibly impressive at Worlds, defeating 2023 World Champion Akhmed Usmanov (3-2) as well as eventual world bronze medalist Khidir Saipudinov (5-2) before losing in the finals to Georgios Kougioumtsidis (3-2). Haines' improvements in his freestyle game were best displayed at Final X when he defeated Chance Marsteller in two straight matches, 6-3 and 6-1. Haines is projected to be the #3 seed and is opposite the other two title contenders - Nokhodi and Kadimagomedov. Haines is in a great spot to earn a medal and is the clear favorite to reach the finals on his side of the bracket.
Haines' full run at the 2026 Pan Am Championships:
Russia's Ismail Khaniev has emerged as one of the best prospects in all of freestyle wrestling. At only 20 years old, Khaniev won U20 Worlds last year and recently defeated Akhmed Usmanov to win Russian Nationals. Despite the recent loss to Jason Nolf at RAF Moscow on criteria, Khaniev has been incredibly impressive this year and looks poised to make some noise at Worlds this year. He'll be unseeded and will be randomly drawn into the 79 kg bracket, but even if he gets a tough draw, Khaniev has all of the skills necessary to win gold in Astana.
Khaniev's win in the finals of the 2026 U20 World Championships:
As a five-time world medalist, Mohammad Nokhodi has been so close to reaching the top of the mountain but has come up short time after time. Nokhodi won silver in 2021 and 2022 and bronze each of the past three years. With all of that experience, it's hard to believe that Nokhodi is still just 25 years old. Last year, Nokhodi was coming off a knee surgery and didn't wrestle internationally between the 2024 World Championships and the 2025 World Championships. At 2025 Worlds, Nokhodi looked hindered by his knee injury but still came away with bronze. This year, Nokhodi has been far more active and holds a 12-match win streak internationally, showing incredible dominance at both 79 kg and 86 kg. It feels like Nokhodi is back to peak condition, and that could result in him winning his first world title in Astana.
Nokhodi's win over Jordan Burroughs at the 2024 World Championships:
Olympic silver medalist Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov is back down at 79 kg after spending 2025 competing at 86 kg. Kadimagomedov went 0-1 last year at Worlds but has been significantly better this year, winning silver at the European Championships while only suffering a close loss in the finals to Akhmed Usmanov (4-2). Kadimagomedov will have a tough match with Nokhodi in the quarterfinals, and the winner of that match will be a heavy favorite to make the finals.
Watch Kadimagomedov's insane Satiev carry:
Medal Contenders
- Keyvan Gharehdaghi, JPN
- Suldkhuu Olonbayar, MGL
- Dzhabrail Gadzhiev, AZE
- Luka Chkhitunidze, GEO
- Akhsarbek Gulaev, SVK
The above group of six wrestlers adds significant depth to the 79 kg bracket, and if any of the big four at this weight don't medal, expect a medalist to come from this group. Japan's Keyvan Gharehdaghi burst onto the scene at the 2026 Asian Championships, winning gold by defeating Daulet Yergesh (9-1), Suldkhuu Olonbayar (14-9), Razambek Jamalov (4-3), and Sandeep Mann (3-2). Gharehdaghi's loss to Ismail Khaniev in the U20 World finals (8-0) makes it hard for me to imagine that he'll make the finals, but all signs point to Gharehdaghi making some noise in this bracket in Kazakhstan. With the right draw, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the podium.
Gharehdaghi's win in the U20 World semifinals over Ryan Burton:
Mongolia's Suldkhuu Olonbayar has lost in the bronze-medal match the last two years at the World Championships. It feels like it's only a matter of time before Olonbayar comes away with a medal, and he's set up in a great spot to do it this year. Olonbayar will be the #2 seed and is opposite Nokhodi and Kadimagomedov in the bracket. Olonbayar will be an underdog against Levi Haines, but if Ismail Khaniev lands on the top side, Olonbayar will be the clear favorite to win a bronze medal out of the bottom side of the bracket.
Azerbaijan's Dzhabrail Gadzhiev will be the top-seeded wrestler at Worlds this year after a 5th-place performance at Worlds last year. Along with his performance at Worlds, Gadzhiev won a bronze medal at the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series Tournament, bronze at the 2026 European Championships, and silver at the Budapest Ranking Series Tournament. Gadzhiev won a U20 world title in 2022 and was a U23 world bronze medalist in 2024. That type of success at age-level Worlds frequently translates to success on the senior level, and this could be Gadzhiev's breakout year.
Gadzhiev's win over Ismail Khaniev for bronze at the 2024 U23 World Championships:
Luka Chkhitunidze has been solid all year and has placed at the last three international tournaments in which he's competed - 3rd at the Muhamet Malo, 3rd at the Budapest Ranking Series tournament, and 2nd at the Ziolkowski. In those tournaments, Chkhitunidze secured notable victories over Giorgi Elbakidze (pinned), Tariel Gaphrindashvili (9-0), Akhsarbek Gulaev (6-0 and 2-1), and Cameron Amine (3-3). Chkhitunidze is trending in the right direction, and while he's a huge underdog against Levi Haines, I expect him to be competitive against any of the wrestlers in the medal contender category.
The final medal contender is Slovakia's Akhsarbek Gulaev, a 2024 world bronze medalist. Gulaev has struggled with consistency most of his career but has some incredible wins throughout his career. Gulaev has victories over world medalists Vasyl Mykhailov, Fazli Eryilmaz, Arsalan Budazhapov, Nika Kentchadze, and Rashid Kurbanov. Despite an abysmal 1-3 record this year, wrestlers as talented as Gulaev can peak when it matters the most, and if Gulaev wrestles his best, he's a solid medal contender.
Gulaev's win over Olonbayar for bronze at the 2024 World Championships:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Mikey Labriola, PUR
- Feng Lu, CHN
Four-time All-American Mikey Labriola is still getting his feet wet on the senior level, but I think he could surprise some people this year at Worlds. Labriola went 1-1 last year at the World Championships, defeating India's Amit Amit (10-0) and losing a 4-0 match to Iran's Mohammad Nokhodi. Labriola placed second at the 2026 Pan-Am Championships, recording 3 tech falls and then getting teched by Levi Haines. It is worth noting that Labriola was wrestling Haines competitively until he was taken down and turned in a leg lace. I expect Labriola to challenge a lot of the wrestlers in this field, and as the #7 seed, he'll be in a much better position to wrestle deep into this bracket.
China's Feng Lu is a relatively unknown senior-level wrestler but shouldn't be underestimated at Worlds this year. Lu won a U23 world silver medal in 2024 while notably defeating this year's 86 kg U23 World Champion Arsen Balian. Along with that win, Lu has notably defeated world champ Nurkozha Kaipanov and 74 kg medal contender Murad Kuramagomedov this year. It's worth mentioning that Lu spent most of his year down at 74 kg, but if he can translate that same level of success up at 79 kg, he has huge potential to make a deep run in this bracket.
79 kg World Championship Prediction
Entering Worlds this year, I feel strongly that one of Levi Haines, Mohammad Nokhodi, or Ismail Khaniev will come away with gold at 79 kg. Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov is another strong contender, which makes this field incredibly fascinating. I don't feel entirely confident in my prediction, but I'm picking Mohammad Nokhodi to win gold this year. At his best, I feel like he's the most complete wrestler in the field, and I expect him to be at his best in Astana. Levi Haines can absolutely win this bracket, and he might be the safest bet coming into the tournament based on his performance last year and what he's done since. Regardless of who wins, the 79 kg bracket will be incredible to watch play out in Astana.
Full 79 kg Medal Predictions
Gold - Mohammad Nokhodi, IRI
Silver - Levi Haines, USA
Bronze - Ismail Khaniev, RUS
Bronze - Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, BLR