Armenia’s Hayk Khloyan Upsets Olympic Champion Musa Evloev in Yerevan
Armenia’s Hayk Khloyan delivered one of the biggest surprises of the Benur Pashayan Memorial Greco-Roman Wrestling Tournament in Yerevan, defeating Russia’s Olympic champion Musa Evloev 3-2 in the round of 16 of the 97-kilogram division.
The victory is one of the biggest of Khloyan’s career. The reigning U23 world champion outlasted the two-time world and two-time European champion in a closely fought match.
Among those watching from the stands was Armenia’s Olympic champion Arthur Aleksanyan, whose rivalry with Evloev has defined the 97-kilogram division for years.
Evloev was competing internationally for the first time since returning from a lengthy break. The Russian Wrestling Federation announced in 2022 that he would step away from competition for an extended period. He returned to the mat this week in Yerevan.
Aleksanyan and Evloev last faced each other in the Olympic final at the Tokyo Games, where Evloev won the gold medal. The result drew criticism from many in the wrestling world, who questioned several officiating decisions during the match.
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