Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler Eldaniz Azizli won his fifth world title on Oct. 25, defeating Iran’s Payam Ahmadi 3-1 in the 55-kilogram final in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The victory gave the 35-year-old Azizli another gold medal at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships and extended his record as one of Azerbaijan’s most decorated wrestlers.
Report confirmed the final score and title. United World Wrestling, the sport’s governing body, listed Azizli among the finalists after he defeated reigning world champion Vakhtang Lolua of Georgia 5-1 in the semifinal.
Azizli entered the tournament as a four-time world champion. He won his previous world titles in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024, becoming the first Azerbaijani wrestler to claim four senior world championships before extending the record to five in Astana.
The 55-kilogram competition was held on Oct. 24 and 25 at Barys Arena. Ahmadi took the silver medal, while Lolua and Kazakhstan’s Iskhar Kurbayev won bronze.
“When our anthem played, my entire career flashed before my eyes,” Azizli said after the medal ceremony, according to Report. He said the title followed a year of intensive preparation after taking bronze at the 2025 world championships.
The championships began Oct. 24 and are scheduled to conclude Nov. 1. Azizli’s gold was Azerbaijan’s first title of the tournament, followed later in the day by Sanan Suleymanov’s victory in the 77-kilogram division.
Source: Vesti Baku