Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Malkhas Amoyan (77 kg) won gold, becoming a two-time world champion, defeating the reigning Olympic champion Nao Kusaka of Japan in a dominating 10–1 victory at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
Amoyan’s run through the tournament was commanding. He opened with a 2–1 victory over Kamal Bey of the United States in the round of 32. He then shut out Poland’s world and European vice-champion Mateusz Bernatek 10–0 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Turkey’s world and European bronze medalist Ahmet Yilmaz 3–1. In the semifinals, he overpowered Iran’s Alireza Abdevali 5–1 to reach the gold medal bout.
The gold medal bout brought him face-to-face with Kusaka, who had defeated him in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics. This time, Amoyan turned the tables with relentless attacks — scoring a 4-point throw, a 2-point roll, and piling on points until sealing the bout 10–1.
Already a Paris Olympic bronze medalist, four-time European champion (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), and the 2021 world champion in Oslo, Amoyan’s victory in Zagreb marks his second world title and further cements his place among the elite of Greco-Roman wrestling. It was also Armenia’s only gold medal at these World Championships, with Arsen Harutyunyan adding a bronze in freestyle.
Born on January 22, 1999, in Yerevan, Amoyan is of Yazidi origin and comes from a decorated wrestling family as the nephew of Roman Amoyan, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and multiple-time European and world medalist.
