American freestyle wrestler Kyle Dake has praised Azerbaijan's Arsenii Dzhioev following their closely contested final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, where the American secured a narrow 3-2 victory.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing the official website of United World Wrestling (UWW), the 35-year-old American admitted that the bout against the Azerbaijani wrestler was far from easy, with the dramatic closing moments causing concern even among his coaches.
"He's a very, very tough opponent. He wrestles hard for all six minutes. I was trying to move laterally and find good angles to attack. He's a really good opponent. He managed to get hold of my arm pretty quickly and push me out of bounds. I knew that if I only scored one point, it would be difficult. So getting those two points was very important," Dake explained.
The five-time world champion also reflected on the tense final seconds, when Dzhioev reduced the deficit to a single point and attempted a decisive attack.
"My coach Cody Sanderson was having a little panic in the corner. I felt completely calm," the American admitted.
Dake added that he continues to improve his defensive technique in such situations. According to him, securing a body lock against an opponent can create opportunities for counterattacks but also involves certain risks.
Nevertheless, the American managed to withstand Dzhioev's late pressure and preserve his narrow advantage until the final whistle.
The victory earned Dake his fifth career world championship title and his first gold medal in the 86 kg weight category.
Interestingly, Dzhioev had already defeated the decorated American earlier this year, winning 4-1 at the ranking tournament in Tirana in February. The Astana final therefore represented a measure of revenge for Dake.
Despite the defeat, 24-year-old Dzhioev continues to make steady progress toward the top of international freestyle wrestling.
In 2024, he claimed bronze at the European Championships, followed by another bronze at the 2025 World Championships. This season, he has added silver medals from both the European and World Championships to his growing collection.
His consistent improvement, combined with his previous victory over Dake, suggests that the Azerbaijani wrestler is emerging as one of the leading contenders in the Olympic 86 kg division.
If Dzhioev maintains his current trajectory, he could become a serious challenger for the world title in the coming years.
Azerbaijan finished the World Championships in Astana with six medals – two gold, two silver and two bronze.
Greco-Roman wrestlers Eldaniz Azizli (55 kg) and Sanan Suleymanov (77 kg) claimed world titles.
Silver medals went to Nihat Mammadli (Greco-Roman, 63 kg) and Arsenii Dzhioev (freestyle, 86 kg), while Ali Tsokayev (92 kg) and Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) secured bronze medals in freestyle wrestling.
