Zaurbek Sidakov has been a dominant force in the 74kg (163.1 lbs) category for over half a decade. However, the Russian Olympic wrestling champion’s reign has officially come to a close. The Tokyo 2020 champion is currently in America and recently announced his retirement from wrestling. Yet, as Sidakov closes the chapter on his illustrious career, he’ll take on a different sport.

“At the @SKWrestlingClub clinic, today @RUWrestling, Olympic Champ Sidakov officially announced/confirmed his retirement from wrestling & his move to MMA,” entrepreneur and freestyle wrestling enthusiast Justin Basch posted on X. The three-time World champion’s decision to leave the sport he excelled at received a mixed response from the community.

Unfortunately, Sidakov’s decision to stop wrestling may have been influenced by the lack of opportunity. Russian athletes have seen their prospects on the international stage dwindle due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zaurbek Sidakov was absent from the world championships in 2021 and 2022. However, things looked up when the wrestling phenom returned to win gold in 2023.

However, this year the reigning Olympic champion in his weight category again hit a wall. Although the Olympic committee invited eligible wrestlers to compete at the Paris Olympics later this month, the Russian Wrestling Federation had other plans. They announced that they were “declining the invites for eligible wrestlers.”

“Will send NO wrestlers to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.” Basch reported on July 6th. Thankfully for athletes like Sidakov, MMA has remained largely unaffected despite the current geopolitical landscape. Russian mixed martial artists have competed in international MMA organizations throughout 2022 and 2023. Petr Yan held the UFC Bantamweight Title in 2021.

Zaurbek Sidakov has not elaborated on why he switched from wrestling to MMA. However, one cannot help but wonder if the opportunity to be more active during his prime motivated the elite wrestler to retire. However, not everyone in the wrestling community seemed receptive to the 28-year-old’s decision to retire.

Is the wrestling champion leaving behind an unfinished legacy?

Some fans expressed displeasure about Zaurbek Sidakov’s decision to leave wrestling. “I do not like this,” one fan wrote but didn’t elaborate why he thought so. However, other wrestling fans explained why the Olympic champion’s sudden decision saddened them. “2018 against Burroughs, 2019 against Burroughs, 2020 with Dake in the bracket, 2021 DNC, 2022 DNC, 2023 against Dake, 2024 DNC,” one fan wrote listing Sidakov’s clashes with the best American wrestlers in his bracket.

“We will truly never know how great Sidakov is or would have been. He truly could have won 7 straight with two Americans in his bracket,” lamented the fan. He saw the decision as a premature end to Sidakov’s rivalry with Dake. However, others were more receptive to the world champion’s choice. “@ufc @danawhite This is your guy!” commented one fan.

Since Khabib Nurmagomedov’s rise to stardom, wrestlers have found immense success in the premier MMA organization in the world. Following Nurmagomedov, his teammate Islam Makhachev has held the lightweight title since 2022. One fan was confident that Sidakov would climb to the top as well. “There’s a lot of talk about who the best wrestler to come to MMA is, but this pretty much settles it.” he wrote.

“Sidakov is a wizard. But… freestyle wrestling is far less suited to MMA than amateur college wrestling (American folkstyle). Regardless; this will be insane to watch,” added the dedicated fan. However, this stands in contrast with Russian wrestlers finding success in MMA. Nurmagomdov and Makachev found success by combining freestyle wrestling with sambo.

However, most fans who supported Sidakov’s decision to embark on his MMA journey agreed MMA hasn’t seen someone of Sidakov’s caliber wrestle opponents in the octagon. “Probably the best senior-level guy to transition to MMA. The only thing hurting his chances is his age by the time he hits the premier promotion. Will be interesting to follow,” commented the fan. While the three-time world champion is 28, he will enter the sport with years of wrestling experience and elite-level cardio.

Fans lament what they see as the premature end to the career of one of freestyle wrestling’s biggest champions. Meanwhile, others are excited to see how one of the best Olympic wrestlers of this generation fares in MMA. However, only time will tell if Zaurbek Sidakov finds success in MMA. While the Olympian is a wrestling phenom, mastering striking will also be crucial for him.