Bajrang Punia’s perennial leg-defence weakness came to haunt him at the big stage as he lost the men’s freestyle 65kg semi-final to three-time world champion Haji Aliev here on Friday and he will now fight for the bronze medal.

Rio Olympics bronze-winner Aliev of Azerbaijan consistently attacked Bajrang’s legs and twice got himself into position from where he could roll the Indian comfortably for easy two-point throws.