Esmaeili Named the World’s Most Dominant Greco-Roman Wrestler of 2025

According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, According to UWW’s official announcement, Esmaeili enjoyed an exceptional 2025, winning gold medals at the World Championships, the Asian Championships, and the Islamic Solidarity Games. These achievements firmly established his place among the elite of Greco-Roman wrestling, as he closed the season ranked No. 1 in the world at 67 kg.

The Iranian wrestler completed the season with a flawless 11-0 record. Eight of those victories came without conceding a single point, and seven were achieved by technical fall—highlighting his overwhelming dominance. Among his most notable wins were two emphatic 9–0 victories over world champions Aitjan Khalmakhanov of Uzbekistan and Sebastian Nado of Serbia.

The Olympic gold medalist also defeated Azerbaijan’s Hasrat Jafarov, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, on two occasions in 2025—once in the world final and again at the Islamic Solidarity Games.

While the peak age for Greco-Roman wrestlers is typically considered to be between 26 and 28, Esmaeili has reached this level of dominance at just 22 years old. Still in the process of refining his skills, he is widely seen as not only one of the leading figures of the present, but also a defining force for the future of Greco-Roman wrestling on the global stage.