As the wrestling community gears up for the 2024 World Wrestling Championships, all eyes are on the incredible journey of the Russian wrestling sensation and reigning Olympic champ, Zaurbek Sidakov who burst onto the world stage back at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In his very first match, he took down Bulgaria’s Miroslav Kirov with a dominant performance. Then, things got intense when he faced off against the legendary Jordan Burroughs, a four-time world champ and Olympic gold medallist. Sidakov pulled off an epic win, edging Burroughs 6–5, and just like that, the rivalry began!

Fast forward to the 2019 World Championships, where Sidakov found himself in another high-stakes showdown with Burroughs. It was a rematch of their previous clash, and once again, Sidakov came out on top. He clinched victory in a nail-biting finish, scoring a last-second step-out to win 4–3. It was clear that this rivalry was heating up, with Sidakov proving he could hang with the best of the best!

Now, as the 2024 World Wrestling Championships loom, Burroughs is gearing up for action once more. But hold up—Zaurbek Sidakov, who also snagged three World Championship titles in 2018, 2019, and 2023, has dropped some surprising news that’s got everyone talking.

Christian Pyles, the content director over at Flo Wrestling,

just dropped some juicy news on X about Zaurbek Sidakov, who’s known for his fierce rivalry with Jordan Burroughs. The reigning Olympic champ spilled the beans that he won’t be stepping onto the mat at the 2024 Worlds in the 79 kg category. But wait—there’s a twist! He’s totally down for another epic showdown with the legendary Burroughs sometime in the future, and you know fans are here for it!

https://twitter.com/CPyles8/status/1838309945214742563

Pyles shared the details, saying, “In communication with Russian Olympic Champion Zaurbek Sidakov. He told @FloWrestling he is not wrestling at 2024 Worlds at 79kg, but he would love another match against Jordan Burroughs at some point.” So, while Sidakov may be taking a break from the upcoming championships with the reason being unknown, the anticipation for that future clash with Burroughs is definitely heating up. Wrestling fans, buckle up—this rivalry is far from over! But here’s the scoop—this isn’t Zaurbek Sidakov’s first rodeo when he did not compete in a match.

When did Zaurbek Sidakov not play earlier?

So, back in June, some surprising news dropped during an interview with UFC fighter Muhammad Naimov on the Ushatayka YouTube channel, hosted by Islam Babajanov. They revealed that Zaurbek Sidakov, the 2021 Olympic champion, won’t be hitting the mats at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Instead, he’s thinking about making a jump into the world of mixed martial arts! Can you believe it? That’s quite a twist, right?

“He (Sidakov) just said that he won’t compete (at the Olympic Games),” Naimov shared. He added, “He told me that definitely after the Olympics he will transfer to MMA. I think he will come.” Naimov also said they’ve been in talks with MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz, who works with stars like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Henry Cejudo. Cejudo even offered to help Sidakov with the MMA transition! This all came after Sidakov wasn’t approved to compete in the Paris Games. Wild times ahead!

So, Zaurbek Sidakov is skipping out on the showdown with Jordan Burroughs at the 2024 World Wrestling Championships, and no one really knows why! What do you think is going on? Hit us up in the comments with your thoughts!