2012‐14: World Champion, European Champion

Sadulaev's senior level debut was at the 2012 XLIII Ali Aliyev Memorial when he was 16 years old. He was defeated in the semifinals by Shamil Kudiyamagomedov, but ended up winning bronze.^[13][14] At the 2013 Memorial Heydar Aliyev, he lost by technical fall to Gamzat Osmanov.^[15] At the 2014 Russian National Championships, Sadulaev defeated Kudiyamagomedov and won his first national title. After the Russian Nationals, he participated at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships, where Sadulaev defeated Reineris Salas of Cuba 11–0 by technical fall.^[16]

2015: World Champion

On 8 May 2015, Sadulaev won the Russian Freestyle Wrestling Nationals again and took part in the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, and World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the Games he outscored four opponents 42–1 (4–0) by technical fall and won gold medal. On 11 September 2015, he won World Championships, in the final knocking down Koloi Kartoev (Selim Yaşar) of Turkey, overall scoring 47–2 (6–0) in the championships.^[17] As a result, he was given a Mercedes-Benz G-Class G63 and Toyota Land Cruiser 200 by Dagestani business magnate Gadzhiev brothers and Ziyavudin Magomedov.^[18]

Sadulaev faced on 7 November wrestlers from Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Poland at the European Nations Cup (Alrosa Cup).^[19] He beat number one Georgian wrestler Elizbar Odikadze via technical fall (11–0).^{[citation needed]}

2016: Olympic Champion

On 29 January, Sadulaev was expected to participate at the international tournament Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin 2016,^[20][21] but he pulled out in late January citing a minor shoulder injury.^{[citation needed]}

Sadulaev returned to wrestling in the U23 European Championships in Ruse, Bulgaria on 3 April,^[22] and then he participated at the Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial XXV on 18 June 2016.^[23] At the European Championships he defeated Stefan Reichmuth of Switzerland in the eightfinals, Hungarian Gergely Gyrits in the quarterfinals, Belarusian Aliaksandr Hushtyn in the semifinals and finally Georgian Irakli Mtsituri; all victories were by technical superiority. On 18 June, Sadulaev won the Wenceslas Ziolkowski Memorial LII, beating Aleksey Mushtin, teammate Omargadzhi Magomedov, István Veréb of Hungary, Sebastian Jezierzanski and Zbigniew Baranowski, both from Poland, by technical superiority.^[24]

Sadulaev competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics without Russian Olympic Trials, that news was announced by the head coach of the Russian freestyle wrestling team Dzhambolat Tedeyev.^[25] Sadualev beat István Veréb by technical superiority, then Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela by points, fellow countryman Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan and in the gold medal match Selim Yasar, 5–0.^{[citation needed]}

After Sadulaev's return to Russia, he was greeted by a rowdy welcome victory in Moscow. The Olympic athletes were also given a reception of the Russian medalists in the Kremlin, with the traditional ceremonial meeting being presided by President Vladimir Putin. The champions received BMW luxury crossovers, with the BMW X6 luxury crossovers being awarded for the gold medalists.^[26] Sadulaev was also greeted as a national hero in his native Dagestan.^[27] Aside from receiving financial reward for his Olympic achievements, Dagestan's Head of the Region Ramazan Abdulatipov presented Sadulaev an Akhal-Teke horse (native to Turkmenistan), which has a reputation for having speed, endurance and intelligence, and is highly valued in Dagestan.^{[citation needed]}

2017: Weight class changes, WC runner-up, European Champion

Sadulaev competed in the Russian Nationals, defeating 2011 European runner-up Vladislav Baitcaev by decision (8–7). Sadulaev became the new Russian national champion in the 97 kg weight category. Before the final match he easily beat Yuri Belonovskiy, Umar Kudliev, Stanislav Gadzhiev and Tamerlan Rasuev by technical superiority.^[28] As a result, Ingushetian president Yunus-bek Yevkurov bestowed him a Toyota Land Cruiser 200.^[29]

At the World Championships, Sadulaev participated in the 97 kg weight category. En route he defeated Reineris Salas, Mateusz Filipczak, Elizbar Odikadze and Georgy Ketoyev. In the final he lost to Kyle Snyder in a close match.^[30]

2018: World Champion, rematch against Snyder

After that he debuted in the weight category 92 kg at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2018. In the final match, he beat 2012 Olympian and countryman Anzor Urishev.^[31]

On 3 August 2018, Sadulaev won his fourth national title at the Russian Nationals, knocking down Vladislav Baitcaev for gold by score (8–1).^[32]

Sadulaev was chosen to represent Russia in his weight class for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, facing countrymen Magomedgadzhi Nurov, Mamed Ibragimov, Magomed Ibragimov, who he all beat by technical fall. In the semi-final he defeated Elizbar Odikadze from Georgia, and in the final in a rematch he faced American Kyle Snyder, finishing him by pin fall.^[33]

2019: European Games gold medalist and World Championships

Sadulaev won European Games in Minsk, Belarus where he didn't give up a single point. After made world team trials, he repeated the success of last year at the world championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in the final match he beat Azerbhaijan's Sharif Sharifov by score (4–0). The rematch against USA's Kyle Snyder did not take place due to the loss of the American to Sharif Sharifov in the semifinals.^[34]

2020

In 2020, he won the gold medal in the men's 97 kg event at the 2020 Individual Wrestling World Cup held in Belgrade, Serbia.^[35]

2021

Sadulaev clinched gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics by defeating his rival Snyder in the final. For that achievement, a member of the Russian State Duma rewarded him with a $1 million.^[36] Sadulaev once again defeated his rival Snyder to claim gold at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships.

2022

On October 15, 2022 Sadulaev faced Belarusian Aliaksandr Hushtyn at Poddubny wrestling league 2. He won this match by score (7–0).^[37]

2023

On September 18, 2023 he competed at the 2023 World Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia. In the quarterfinals, he got a neck injury against his opponent Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain and retired from the championships, being down 2–9 prior to retirement.^[38][39] It was only Sadulaev's fourth loss at the senior level, and the first since his loss in the final of the 2017 World Championships to Snyder.^[40]

2024

On January 28, 2024 he won Ivan Yarygin cup held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.^[41][42]