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The Cuban wrestler Luis Orta (67 kg), Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020, suffered a defeat last Friday against the young Uzbek Aytjan Khalmakhanov by technical superiority with a decisive score of 9-0 in a single round, in a card of the Professional Wrestling League held at the Khumo Arena complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Khalmakhanov, just 20 years old and the current world champion in Zagreb 2025, dominated the match from the first whistle, supported by the local crowd that filled the venue with a capacity of 12,500 spectators.
The official sports publication JIT indicated that it did not have access to the video of the match, but specified that the scoreboard showed full dominance by Khalmakhanov, who is also the 2025 Asian champion and under-20 world youth champion.
Orta arrives at this match with an enviable record. The Cuban was crowned world champion in Belgrade 2023 and won the Olympic bronze in Paris 2024, adding to his already impressive international career.
The outcome contrasts with the expectations placed on the Cuban wrestling team, which Cuba finished that tournament with only a bronze medal at the recent World Championship in Zagreb 2025, raising concerns regarding upcoming international commitments.
Among those commitments, the Central American and Caribbean Games stand out, scheduled from July 24 to August 8 in the Dominican Republic, where Cuba will seek to regain prominence in the region.
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