Defending champions Iran have been drawn in the same group as hosts United States for this year’s UWW Freestyle World Cup at The Forum in Los Angeles ©UWW

Defending champions Iran have been drawn in the same group as hosts United States for this year’s United World Wrestling (UWW) Freestyle World Cup at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Iran secured their fourth consecutive title last year by beating the US in the final at the same venue.

Azerbaijan and India complete Group B, while Group A is made up of Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Mongolia.

The 2016 edition is due to take place between June 11 and 12 and will be preceded by the Greco-Roman World Cup, scheduled for May 19 and 20 in Shiraz.

The Greco-Roman version will feature Russia, Belarus, Germany and Kazakhstan in Group A, and Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine and hosts Iran in Group B.

Azerbaijan are the reigning champions having won their first-ever title last year in Iran’s capital Tehran.

Iran are the defending Freestyle World Cup champions
Iran are the defending Freestyle World Cup champions ©Getty Images

The World Cup is an annual team-based dual meet competition featuring the top-eight ranked nations from the previous year’s World Championships.

This year will be the third in a row that Iran and the US have staged the Freestyle and Greco-Roman World Cups respectively.

The draws for the two events were made during the UWW Bureau meeting in Istanbul.