Rıza Kayaalp eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Wrestling Championships

Representing Turkey in the 130kg Greco-Roman style at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, national wrestler Rıza Kayaalp was defeated 5-3 by his Finnish opponent Matti Elias Kuosmanen in the quarterfinal match.

Stepping onto the mat on the second day of the championship, Kayaalp had advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Indian athlete Joginder Rathee 9-0 via technical superiority in the first round and Ukrainian Mykhailo Vyshnyvetskyi 4-0 in the second round. However, failing to gain an advantage against Finnish wrestler Matti Elias Kuosmanen in the quarterfinals, the national athlete did not earn a repechage spot as his opponent failed to reach the final, and he left the organization without a medal.