He was the flag bearer of Turkey at the opening ceremony of the 2013 Mediterranean Games,[7] where he won the gold medal in the 120 kg division by beating Radhwen Chebbi of Tunisia 2–0.

[10] At the 2014 World Wrestling Championships, Kayaalp received a silver medal after losing to Mijain Lopez 2–0 in the final of the 130 kg Greco-Roman style division.

Competing in the 130 kg (286 pounds) Greco-Roman category, Kayaalp defeated his Estonian rival Heiki Nabi to become the world wrestling champion.

[16] Kayaalp has won the gold medal at the European Wrestling Championships in Kaspiysk in Russia's northern Caucasus Republic of Dagestan.

The victory marked Kayaalp's eighth European title – seven are consecutive – equalizing another Turkish wrestling legend Hamza Yerlikaya's record.

After defeating his Georgian rival, Iakobi Kajaia 3:0 in the finals, Kayaalp took the gold medal to become the 2019 champion in 130 kilogram category.

[19] Kayaalp won another gold by beating his Estonian rival Heiki Nabi 3–1 in the Greco-Roman 130 kilos in China, at the International Military Sports Council (CISM) World Games, an Olympic event where soldiers compete.

[27] Rıza Kayaalp beats Amin Mirzazadeh of Iran in men's Greco-Roman 130 kg at 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Kayaalp, 33, defeated Sabah Shariati from Azerbaijan with a 2–1 result to win the gold medal in the Croatian capital Zagreb.

He reached the final with 8–0 technical victories over Boris Petrusic of Serbia, Oskar Marvik of Norway and Mantas Knystautas of Lithuania.