Reigning freestyle wrestling Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov to ditch Paris 2024 games for shot at UFC career, says Muhammad Naimov
Three-time freestyle wrestling world champion Zaurbek Sidakov is the latest entrant in the expanding list of wrestlers seeking a career in MMA. In line with the approach of several of his peers, the premier MMA organization, UFC, remains his sought-after destination.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist of the 74 kg bracket is currently ineligible to compete in the 2024 edition of the international multi-sport event in Paris, France. Meanwhile, according to UFC featherweight contender Muhammad Naimov, he has already spoken to prominent MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz about the signing of the Russian wrestling prodigy.
Speaking in a recent interview with Ushatayka, Naimov claimed:
"He (Sidakov) just said that he won't compete (at the Olympics). He told me that definitely after the Olympics he will transfer to MMA. I think he will come [to MMA]." [h/t: flowrestling]
According to a report by Red Corner MMA, he also mentioned that former UFC two-weight champion Henry Cejudo had offered his expertise to Sidakov to transition into MMA.
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As for the 28-year-old's wrestling prowess, his credentials speak volumes about his talent, having claimed the world titles in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Besides that, he is also a European Games gold medalist, three-time Russian national champion, and three-time Ivan Yarygin International champion.
Check out Naimov's interview with Ushatayka below:
Why is Zaurbek Sidakov ineligible to compete in the upcoming edition?
The International Olympic Committee recently released a list of Russian wrestlers eligible to compete in the upcoming 2024 games in Paris, France. However, the list missed out on several popular names, including reigning 74 kg. champion Zaurbek Sidakov.
The committee issued a ban on Russia and Belarus from the Olympics soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. However, Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) were later allowed to compete in individual sports if they qualified for the games and were ruled eligible to compete by the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP).
To prove their eligibility, the individual athletes were required to prove their disassociation from war. Several top athletes discovered their names struck off the listing due to their alleged previous endorsement of the war effort.
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee called on international partners to take measures to comply with the International Olympic Committee's recommendations regarding the neutral status of athletes from the region. According to a report by Pravda, they also provided evidence regarding several athletes defying the neutrality mandates, including Sidakov.