Khadzhimurat Gatsalov bars Russia's wrestling national team members from RAF

The ban follows a World Championships in Astana where Russia won 14 medals, four of them gold, with head coach Gatsalov unhappy at how three RAF competitors, including Abdulrashid Sadulaev, had prepared.

Wrestlers who earn their places at the Russian Championships will no longer be allowed to compete in Real American Freestyle (RAF), Russia's freestyle head coach Khadzhimurat Gatsalov has announced.

The restriction extends beyond the American promotion. Gatsalov said those qualifiers will compete only in ranking tournaments chosen by the coaching staff, describing it as a tough stance held by both the federation and himself.

The move follows the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Gatsalov said Ismail Khaniyev, Ibragim Kadiev and two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev had not trained properly because they were preparing for RAF while the team were in the mountains gaining weight and building fitness.

He said Sadulaev had not completed the full preparatory process and needed more competitive practice, having competed little and missed the Russian Championships through injury.

The ban cuts national team members off from significant sums. Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov said RAF offered him roughly $80,000 per match, three to four times what the Professional Wrestling League pays him. Sources familiar with talks involving Sadulaev point to six-figure appearance fees plus separate six-figure win bonuses.

Russia's official reward for Olympic gold is about 4 million rubles, meaning one RAF appearance could pay close to four times that amount.

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