Two-time world champ Reza Yazdani is to undergo surgery on his right ankle in the coming days.

Yazdani competed in the London 2012 Olympics but was injured in the semi-final, in the match against Ukrainian competitor Valeriy Andriytsev.

The -97kg freestyler also took part in the Rio 2016 Olympics but was knocked out after suffering two defeats against Azerbaijan’s Khetag Gazyumov and Magomed Abdulmuminovich Ibragimov of Uzbekistan.

Yazdani left Tehran for German city of Cologne on Wednesday to undergo surgery in the coming days.

Yazdani said he is hopeful of returning to the mat and is not going to quit his career.

It's been an up and down couple of years for Yazdani, who nicknamed "The Leopard of Juybar".