David Baev

In the 2019's edition of the Russian National Championships held in Sochi, Baev became champion in the 70 kg weight class. In the round of 16, Baev faced Krasnodar representative, Ismail Dzhapua, and won by technical superiority by 10–0, without conceding a single point. Baev then faced Krasnoyarsk's Semen Tereshenko who he won by 5-0 points. In the quarter-final, Baev faced former Ivan Yarygin gold medalist and two-time Russian national silver medalist, Israil Kasumov of Chechnya.

Baev won the quarter-final match with a technical fall by a score of 13–2, advancing to the semi-finals, where he defeated Evgeny Zherbaev of Buryatia by another technical fall with a 15–4 score. After an exhaustive-paced match, Baev defeated Razambek Zhamalov and was declared the winner by criteria with a score of 10*-10, for he scored with the highest-scoring technique of the match – a 4-point takedown in the first period, shortly after Baev was put on the shot-clock.[6] With two-time World Champion Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov moving up to 74 kg, Baev won the right to represent Russia at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships held in Nursultan, Kazakhstan.

Baev competed in the 70 kg weight category and won his first senior World title. Baev first defeated Andrei Karpach of Belarus by a technical fall, 10–0. Then, Baev was matched against former World Champion, Zurabi Iakobishvili, who he defeated by a score of 7–0. Baev progressed to the quarter-finals where he faced Asian Champion and World and Olympic medalist Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan, who he also defeated, 11–5. Next, Baev faced World silver medalist and European Champion, Magomedmurad Gadzhiev.[7] Baev was able to score two-points on a takedown, and another two-points on a re-attack, resulting to a score of 5–2.

In the final match against Nurkozha Kaipanov, Baev's opponent reversed and scored exposure for two-points. Baev did the same and added a gut-wrench, increasing to a score of 4–2. He then attacked with a four-point single leg and again got additional two-further-points from a trapped-arm gut-wrench. Going into the second period, Baev was up 10–2, and after thirty seconds, Baev again used his single leg to gain a further four-points in what resulted in a technical fall win, earning Baev the 2019 world title.[8]