
This is a ranking of the best wrestlers in the world in freestyle wrestling of all time. The athletes are ranked according to their World Championship and Olympic Games titles. If the number is the same, silver and bronze medals are also considered. Wrestlers who are still active and who can theoretically move up in the ranking, their names are highlighted in red. The World Championship 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia did not bring any changes in the ranking. From the two still active wrestlers of the ranking only Abdulrashid Sadulaev participated. He advanced to the semifinals and had to retire due to a neck injury during the fight against the extremely strong Akhmed Tazhudinov. Jordan Burroughs, on the other hand, did not qualify for the 2023 World Championships as he lost to his compatriot Chance Marsteller at the Final X competition in the United States. (last updated: 2023)

1. Aleksandr Medved
Belarusian, representing Soviet Union
10 world level titles
1962 world champion
1963 world champion
1964 Olympic champion
1966 world champion
1967 world champion
1968 Olympic champion
1969 world champion
1970 world champion
1971 world champion
1972 Olympic champion
Nicknamed „the Bear“ (of Belarus)

2. Buvaisar Saitiev
Chechen, representing Russia
9 world level titles
1995 world champion
1996 Olympic champion
1997 world champion
1998 world champion
2001 world champion
2003 world champion
2004 Olympic champion
2005 world champion
2008 Olympic champion
Widely considered as the greatest freestyle wrestler of all time.

3. Sergei Beloglazov
Russian, representing Soviet Union
8 world level titles
1980 Olympic champion
1981 world champion
1982 world champion
1983 world champion
1985 world champion
1986 world champion
1987 world champion
1988 Olympic champion
Beloglazov has a twin brother who also became an Olympic champion and a three-time world champion.

3. Arsen Fadzaev
Ossetian, representing Soviet Union
8 world level titles
1983 world champion
1985 world champion
1986 world champion
1987 world champion
1988 Olympic champion
1990 world champion
1991 world champion
1992 Olympic champion
Fadzaev was already 14 years old when he started wrestling.

5. Valentin Yordanov
Bulgarian, representing Bulgaria
8 world level titles
1983 world champion
1985 world champion
1987 world champion
1989 world champion
1993 world champion
1994 world champion
1995 world champion
1996 Olympic champion
When the International Olympic Committee planned to exclude wrestling from the Olympics, Yordanov returned his Olympic gold medal in protest in 2013.

6. Makharbek Khadartsev
Ossetian, representing Soviet Union
7 world level titles
1986 world champion
1987 world champion
1988 Olympic champion
1989 world champion
1990 world champion
1991 world champion
1992 Olympic champion
Khadartsev wrestled for a time for the wrestling club ASV Lampertheim in the German Premier League.

7. Jordan Burroughs
American, represting United States
7 world level titles
2011 world champion
2012 Olympic champion
2013 world champion
2015 world champion
2017 world champion
2021 world champion
2022 world champion
Burroughs‘ specialty is the double leg attack.

8. Abdulrashid Sadulaev
Avarian, representing Russia
7 world level titles
2014 world champion
2015 world champion
2016 Olympic champion
2018 world champion
2019 world champion
2020 Olympic champion
2021 world champion
The „Russian Tank“ Sadulaev is currently considered No. 1 pound-for-pound.

9. Soslan Andiyev
Ossetian, represting Soviet Union
6 world level titles
1973 world champion
1975 world champion
1976 Olympic champion
1977 world champion
1978 world champion
1980 Olympic champion
In 1971, Andiyev and his two brothers placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Russian Heavyweight Championships.

9. Levan Tediashvili
Georgian, represting Soviet Union
6 world level titles
1971 world champion
1972 Olympic champion
1973 world champion
1974 world champion
1975 world champion
1976 Olympic champion
Tediashvili played in the two Georgian movies „Khareba da Gogia“ and „Brighton 4th“ the role of a fighter.

11. John Smith
American, representing United States
6 world level titles
1987 world champion
1988 Olympic champion
1989 world champion
1990 world champion
1991 world champion
1992 Olympic champion
Smith was a master of the low single leg attack.

12. Leri Khabelov
Ossetian, representing Soviet Union and Russia
6 world level titles
1985 world champion
1987 world champion
1990 world champion
1991 world champion
1992 Olympic champion
1993 world champion
Khabelov is currently president of the Georgian National Olympic Committee.

13. Khadzhimurat Gatsalov
Ossetian, representing Russia
6 world level titles
2004 Olympic champion
2005 world champion
2006 world champion
2007 world champion
2009 world champion
2013 world champion
Gatsalov won his last world title at heavyweight, all others up to 96 kg.

14. Abdollah Movahed
Iranian, representing Iran
6 world level titles
1965 world champion
1966 world champion
1967 world champion
1968 Olympic champion
1969 world champion
1970 world champion
Movahed grew up in the wrestling stronghold of Māzandarān and moved to the United States after his wrestling career ended.

15. Bruce Baumgartner
American, representing United States
5 world level titles
1984 Olympic champion
1986 world champion
1992 Olympic champion
1993 world champion
1995 world champion
For 13 years, Baumgartner always finished in the top three at world level tournaments, except for 1991.

16. Mustafa Dağıstanlı
Turkish, representing Turkey
5 world level titles
1954 world champion
1956 Olympic champion
1957 world champion
1959 world champion
1960 Olympic champion
Between 1954 and 1960 Dağıstanlı won all his fights except one.

17. Yuji Takada
Japanese, representing Japan
5 world level titles
1974 world champion
1975 world champion
1976 Olympic champion
1977 world champion
1979 world champion
Takada was several years head coach of the Japanese freestyle team.

18. Vladimir Yumin
Russian, representing Soviet Union
5 world level titles
1974 world champion
1976 Olympic champion
1977 world champion
1978 world champion
1979 world champion
After first successes as a teenager, Jumin was delegated from Siberia to Dagestan, where he stayed.

19. Aleksandr Ivanitsky
Russian, representing Soviet Union
5 world level titles
1962 world champion
1963 world champion
1964 Olympic champion
1965 world champion
1966 world champion
Ivanitsky was undefeated in the heavyweight division from 1962 to 1966.

20. Ali Aliyev
Avar-Dagestani, representing Soviet Union
5 world level titles
1959 world champion
1961 world champion
1962 world champion
1966 world champion
1967 world champion
Aliyev was the first wrestler from Dagestan to win a world title in freestyle wrestling.
See also the greatest wrestlers of all time in Greco-Roman style
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