Hasan YAZDANI (IRI) is headed back to the World Championships in search of an eighth world medal and is expected to...

Hasan YAZDANI (IRI) is headed back to the World Championships in search of an eighth world medal and is expected to join fellow Olympic champions Kye SNYDER (USA), Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Akhmed TAZHUDINOV as four Olympic champs in Kazakhstan. On Friday in Kerman, Iran, Yazdani, the three-time Olympic medalist and Rio Olympic champ, defeated Paris Olympic bronze medalist Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the best-of-three series in the superstar showdown for the FS 97kg world team spot and will represent Iran at the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan later this year. In match one, Yazdani did give up a high crotch takedown, but still led for 3:53, scoring three step outs and an inactivity clock to win the match 4-2. Match two was a lot closer as Yazdani led 3-0 after the first period from an inactivity, step out and failed challenge, but Azaripira stormed back in the second period with a takedown and stepout to grab the 3-3 lead on criteria with 1:14 second left. But as all greats do, ‘The Greatest’ struck at the most opportune time late with a counter offensive go-behind with :37 left to regain the lead with the match deciding takedown to win the match, 5-3. In other Iranian news, there was a changing of the guard at 130kg in Greco-Roman as U23 world champion Fardin HEDAYATI beat reigning world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH to grab the spot. Meanwhile, in the other pair of freestyle best-to-three series in Kerman, at 92kg, Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR defeated reigning Asian champion Mobin AZIMI, and at 74kg, two-time world finalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI beat world bronze medalists Younes EMAMI to punch their tickets to Kazakhstan.