Artur Naifonov got over the hump and beat Dauren Kurugliev in the finals of Russian Nationals. Naifanov did make the 2019 Russian world team in which Kurugliev did not compete and went on to take a bronze medal home the world championships in Nur Sultan, KAZ. 

The last time the two wrestled it was in the 2020 version of Russian Nationals to earn the right to compete in the 2020 World Individual Cup. Kurugliev came out on top of that exchange and wound up winning a gold medal in Serbia just a few weeks later. 

You may know Kurugliev from his knock-down, drag-out brawl with eventual world champion David Taylor back in 2018. 

Naifanov is no stranger to the world stage winning a Junior World  championship in 2017 and a U23 World silver in 2018. In 2017 Naifonov beat Zahid Valencia in the finals. 

In Naifonov’s 2019 world championship stint he would fall 4-2 in the Quarterfinals to eventual champion and 2016 Olympic champion Hasan Yazdanicharati. 

After winning the Russian National Tournament and securing a bid in the Olympic Games Naifonov had this to say about the prospect of wrestling, and beating, the likes of David Taylor and Yazdani. “They are human too, like me. Who gets tired too..but it’s just about psychological preparation.They don't have advantages, nor three hands nor four legs.There's too much at stake to have problems with the right attitude and just to give them a win.”

Naifonov about Yazdani &Taylor.
-They are human too, like me. Who gets tired too..but it’s just about psychological preparation.They don't have advantages, nor three hands nor four legs.There's too much at stake to have problems with the right attitude and just to give them a win pic.twitter.com/iA7nrecSJd

— Ivan_FSwrestling (@sikom_d) March 12, 2021