Background and career
Sharif Naidhajavovich Sharifov (Russian: Шариф Наидгаджавович Шарифов, Azerbaijani: Şərif Şərifov; born 11 November 1988, in Gunukh, Charodinsky District, Dagestan) is a Russian-Azerbaijani former wrestler. Sharifov finished first in the World Championships and won a bronze in the European Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympics Sharifov won a gold medal in the 84 kg event after defeating Puerto Rican Jaime Espinal.
He won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he beat Bi Shengfeng and Zbigniew Baranowski before losing to Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Sharifov won the bronze medal after beating Pedro Ceballos in the repechage.
