Zaurbek Sidakov

Sidakov entered the 2018 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast in August 2018. In the round of 16, he defeated Konstantin Korolyov of Krasnoyarsk by 14–1 technical fall; Sidakov went on to defeat Magomed Magomedov of Moscow by 9–0 in the round of 8. In the quarter-finals, Sidakov defeated Timur Bizhoev of Krasnodar by 3–1 and advanced to the semi-finals where he defeated Evgeny Lapishov of Tatarstan by 10–0 technical superiority, thus advancing Sidakov to the finals, where he would face former opponent and training partner, Khetag Tsabolov.[8] Sidakov ultimately got his revenge and the gold medal this time, as he won by 2–2 criteria scoring a takedown in the last 30 seconds.[9][10][11]

Sidakov made his first appearance on the world stage when he entered the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In Sidakov's opening match, he faced and defeated Bulgaria's Miroslav Kirov by 10–0 technical-fall, and then defeated Franklin Gomez to advance to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-final, he beat NCAA champion, Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs 6–5, and Sidakov then beat Olympic Bronze medalist, and two-time European and World champion, Frank Chamizo by 3–2, advancing Sidakov to the final, opposite Georgia's Avtandil Kentchadze, a 2018 U23 European Championships Bronze Medalist – whom Sidakov defeated at the U23 Senior European Championships in the semi-final.[12][13] After a hard-fought match between Sidakov and Kentchadze, Sidakov won by the score of 2*-2; winning by criteria; the gold medal; first place on the podium and his first senior world title.[14]

Sidakov was then placed on the Russian squad to wrestle at the 2019 European Games held in the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Entering into the tournament, Sidakov first met rival Avtandil Kentchadze of Georgia, who he defeated by the score of 5–3.[16] In the semi-finals, Sidakov faced Azamat Nurykau and defeated him by a score of 6–4.[17] In the final, Sidakov wrestled with three-time European Champion and World medalist, Soner Demirtas of Turkey. After a minute of hand-fighting, Sidakov would shoot a single-leg causing Demirtas to sprawl out, after turning away, Sidakov would lock in a cradle and would go on to pin Demirtas, declaring Sidakov the victory by fall, giving Sidakov the gold medal at the European Games.

At the 2019 World Championships, Sidakov first defeated Mexican representative, Victor Hernandez, by a technical fall, 10-0. He went on defeating Kamil Rybycki 8-0 and Mao Okui, Japanese Academic World medalist, in the quarter-finals by a score of 6-0. In the semi-finals, Sidakov faced four-time World Champion and former Olympic Champion, Jordan Burroughs – a rematch of the 2018 World Wrestling Championships quarter-finals – and won in the same fashion as he did in 2018, by a last-second step-out to score 4-3. In 2019, Sidakov once again defeated Burroughs with a last-second step-out and after a failed challenge for a score of 4-3.[18]

In what would be a rematch of the 2018 World Championships semi-finals, Sidakov faced two-time World Champion, Frank Chamizo, in the final. Sidakov used his tie-ups and hand-fighting to control most of the match, leaving Chamizo without any scoring chances; Chamizo was put on the shot-clock giving Sidakov a one-point lead for passivity at the half-way point. In the second period, Chamizo found a way to a single leg takedown and finish it for two-points to lead by a score of 2-1. After being down, Sidakov almost immediately began applying more pressure and managed to get a takedown of his own around 20 seconds later; leading 3-2, in the last twenty seconds, he would land another brief two-point takedown and defended his world title by a score of 5-2, ultimately resulting in Sidakov become a two-time Wrestling World Champion.[19] Following his victory at the World Championships, Sidakov dedicated his victory to all those deceased as a result of the 2004 Beslan terrorist school attack.[20]