The wrestling match between Hieu (L) and Zakhar had been highly anticipated since earlier this year. The two wrestlers agreed on March 10 to clash at the Man Xa Village festival in Bac Ninh, with the match taking place on Friday afternoon.

Hieu, known for his martial spirit, lifts Zakhar onto his shoulder.

Following traditional Vietnamese wrestling rules, the match had no time limit or scoring. The winner is determined by lifting the opponent 30 cm off the mat. Wrestlers are not allowed to interlock their fingers when controlling the opponent’s hands to avoid injury.

The match lasted nearly two hours, from 4:20 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., spanning 12 rounds. The wrestlers primarily used strength, avoided making mistakes and rarely found opportunities to apply techniques. Zakhar, with his agility, took the initiative with attacks, but Hieu, with his experience, calmly neutralized the offense.

The wrestling match between Hieu (L) and Zakhar has been highly anticipated since earlier this year.

Hieu’s defensive strategy often involved retreating close to the ring's edge to maintain control.

In the fifth round, Hieu sustained a 3cm cut near his right eye. Blood flowed down his cheek and onto Zakhar’s hand, forcing a temporary halt in the match.

Hieu received first aid from the logistics team, all of whom were fellow athletes, to stop the bleeding and apply a bandage. Despite the injury, Hieu remained determined to get a win or a draw.

The contest was a back-and-forth battle, with Zakhar struggling to break through Hieu’s defense. On the other hand, Hieu caught Zakhar twice in the fifth and eleventh rounds. Zakhar, however, retreated quickly outside the ring to escape.

After 12 rounds without a clear winner, the organizers declared the match a draw and split the $10,000 prize between the two wrestlers. Both competitors accepted the decision.

Hieu, 40, is regarded as a towering figure in Vietnamese wrestling, standing at 1.92m and weighing 130kg. He won 15 national championships and four SEA Games gold medals before retiring in 2022.

After his retirement, Hieu remains active in the martial arts community, working as a referee and a coach in Ninh Binh Province.

Zakhar, 28, standing at 1.81m and weighing 94kg, won the Master of Sports title in Belarusian wrestling and has claimed a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championship.

He moved to Vietnam in 2024 and works at a martial arts school in beach town Nha Trang. In November 2024, Zakhar defeated Vietnamese fighter Tran Quoc Toan in the 84kg category at the MMA LION Championship 19 event in Phu Quoc.

Around 550 festivals take place in Bac Ninh Province every year. The Man Xa Village festival, held annually in Bac Ninh, attracts about 1,000 spectators, mainly locals and features various recreational sports, with wrestling being the most popular.

The event attracts many spectators.

Spectators arrived early, with Nguyen Van Mang, 74 (C) and his friends securing prime seats by bringing mats and pipes. This marked the 10th festival they have attended since the start of the year.

Due to overcrowding near the arena, some people watched from the upper floors of Thanh Quang Pagoda. This year, the match between Zakhar and Hieu drew the most attention, alongside appearances from other professional wrestlers.

At village festivals, sponsors often provide cash bonuses for wrestlers and the match between Zakhar and Hieu match was no exception. The match was postponed four times, allowing each athlete to receive an additional $2,500.