#WrestleFaenza

Alili Makes Macedonian History, Wins First-Ever Cadet European Title

Saturday, June 22, 2019 - 17:29 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 22) -- Coming into Saturday's European finals, Macedonia had three wrestlers reach the gold-medal bout but never had a cadet wrestler win a continental title in any style. Besir ALILI (MKD) changed that after winning his nations first-ever cadet European title on the sixth day of wrestling in Faenza, Italy. 

For the second year in a row, Alili had an opportunity to do what his fellow countrymen, Boban DANOV (MKD) and Dejan Bogdanov (MKD), couldn’t do, and that was to come out on the winning end of a European gold-medal bout. That’s exactly what he did on Saturday night, rewriting a page in his nation’s history book with a 7-6 come-from-behind win against Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) in the 48kg finals. 

The match couldn’t have started any worse for Alili, but he wasn’t going to be denied a gold medal. His Armenian opponent hit a slide by to start the match, and as Alili squared up, Hovhannisyan shot a fireman’s carry. With Alili’s arm trapped, Hovhannisyan came up to his feet and thunderously tossed the Macedonian to his back. The referrers awarded five points to Hovhannisyan for his spectacular throw, leaving Alili down 5-0 less than 30 seconds into the match. To end the exchange that left him behind 5-1, Alili was able to somehow worm his way on top for the reversal, cutting his deficit to four points. 

With under 30 seconds left in the first period, Alili pulled Hovhannisyan’s head down to the mat and locked up a front head pinch, rolling his Armenian opponent over his back three consecutive times. His six points from the front head pinches, coupled with the reversal, gave Alili the 7-5 lead heading into the break. 

From there, there was nothing flashy from Alili’s end, just sound defense and near perfect position that helped him cruise to the 7-6 victory after being down 5-0 to start the match. 

After the match, and before strolling around the mat with the Macedonian flag draped above his head, Alili celebrated sticking the perfect landing on his cartwheel to a backflip. 

Macedonia now has eight cadet European medals. They have Alili’s Day 6 gold, three silvers and four bronze medals. 

The final day of wrestling at the Cadet European Championships starts tomorrow at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live onwww.unitedworldwretling.org. 

RESULTS 

Team Scores 
GOLD – Russia (105 points)
SILVER – Azerbaijan (70 points)
BRONZE – Ukraine (56 points)
Fourth – Georiga (55 points)
Fifth – Turkey (38 points)

48kg 
GOLD - Besir ALILI (MKD) df. Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 7-6 
BRONZE - Ramazan BAGAVUDINOV (RUS) df. Ramik HEYBATOV (AZE), 7-3 
BRONZE - Luka GUGESHASHVILI (GEO) df. Andrei VITAN (MDA), 10-0

55kg
GOLD - Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA) df. Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR), 5-0 
BRONZE - Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Hayk ABRAHAMYAN (ARM), 8-6  
BRONZE - Magomed TAZHUDINOV (RUS) df. Burak DEMIR (GER), 12-1 

65kg
GOLD - Iman SHIKHSHABEKOV (RUS) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 4-0 
BRONZE - Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO) df. Aliaksandr HULNIK (BLR), 11-0 
BRONZE - Narek POHOSIAN (UKR) df. Krystian Tomasz KRUPINSKI (POL), 13-2 

80kg
GOLD - Akhmedkhan TEMBOTOV (RUS) df. Denys SAHALIUK (UKR), 9-0 
BRONZE - Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO) df. Abduljalil SHABANOV (AZE), via fall
BRONZE - Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Nihat BEKTAS (TUR), 11-0

110kg
GOLD - Andrei BESTAEV (RUS) df. Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL), 10-0 
BRONZE - Hamlet NASIBLI (AZE) df. Hubert WISNIEWSKI (POL), 4-0 
BRONZE - David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Marius UJA (MDA), 3-0 

2026 Muhamet Malo

Lolua Bumps to 60kg, Komarov Among World Champs Returning in Tirana

Monday, February 23, 2026 - 19:19 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 23) -- Last year, Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) was in Tirana, making his senior international debut. He went on to win the 55kg silver medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event.

What followed was an incredible 2025 season for Lolua in which he became a world champion in Zagreb. He also won bronze medals at the European Championships, and U20 World and European Championships.

FREESTYLE PREVIEW | MUHAMET MALO ENTRIES | WATCH LIVE

The world champion at 55kg is returning to Tirana, making his Olympic weight debut at 60kg later this week at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, which begins February 25.

While he got two wins last year to reach the final, where he lost to Emre MUTLU (TUR), Lolua will need to spend more time on the mat if he wants to wrestle for the gold medal.

The field at 60kg is no pushover, with several experienced contenders entered.

The 18-year-old will face the likes of European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), former U20 world champion Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), former U17 world champion SURAJ (IND) and compatriot Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO).

The Georgian has the par terre offense to win, as he showed in Zagreb. He tricked Payam AHMADI (IRI) in the final with two different par terre turns. However, he also keeps his matches tight. At the World Championships, he won only one of his four bouts by a margin of two points or more.

Mammadli presents his first major tactical test. He was in red-hot form in 2025 but fell off in the later half of the year. He lost his World Championships quarterfinal to Alisher GANIEV (UZB), who also defeated him at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2025.

Guluzade and Tibilov pose a different challenge. The latter is an experienced campaigner, who often shuns big-move wrestling for tactical wins. Guluzade will bring raw energy, trying to prove his mettle before the European Championships.

Suraj, who defeated Victor CIOBANU (MDA), constantly works on his opponents for six minutes, which can put anyone's conditioning to the test.

Like at 60kg, Georgia and Azerbaijan have multiple wrestlers in other weight classes as well. Many other nations are also increasingly focusing on selecting their teams via results at Ranking Series events.

At 67kg, Georgia has Zagreb Open champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) and European bronze medalist Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) going against each other. Khetsuriani has not wrestled since finishing 22nd at the World Championships in September.

The challenges will not be limited. U20 world champion Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) will make his senior debut in Tirana. He has impressed with his dominant performances in 2024 when he won the U20 gold. In 2025, he finished with a silver, losing a close final.

A minefield at 87kg will see the return of world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB). He will face top wrestlers from Hungary, Azerbaijan, UWW wrestlers and Kazakhstan.

Komarov rose to the occasion at the World Championships in Zagreb with an incredible run, winning gold over Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHMADI (IRI). He will look to reset in Tirana.

World bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) has constantly improved and a good performance in Tirana at 87kg will do him a world of good. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Islam ALIEV (UWW) and Alan OSTAEV (UWW) are a trio of UWW wrestlers in the field. Alirzaev and Ostaev have wins over Komarov in the past.

Islam ABBASOV (AZE) and Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) are leading the challenge for Azerbaijan while Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won gold at the Zagreb Open, will be another top wrestler.

Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ) and Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) are two Kazakhstan wrestlers looking to make a mark as well.

A similar story will play out at 97kg with world silver medalist Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) eyeing his second Ranking Series gold medal. Standing in his way are Zagreb Open champion Alex SZOKE (HUN), world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), Paris bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), former world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE).

Azerbaijan is sending three wrestlers at 97kg in hopes of finalizing its European lineup with world bronze medalists Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) and Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), and Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

At 77kg, Hungary is once again pitting Robert FRITSCH (HUN) against Zoltan LEVAI (HUN). In Zagreb, Levai won silver while Fritsch won bronze as both lost to Ali OKSOU (IRI).

Iran, which has its own struggles at this weight class, has also gone with two wrestlers, Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) and Amir ABDI (IRI).

U23 world champion Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) is returning to action, hoping to win his first Ranking Series gold medal. Gutu has given legendary performances at the age-group level but is yet to win a medal at the senior World or European Championships.

Imran ALIEV (UWW), Evgenii BAIDUSOV (UWW) and Sergei STEPANOV (UWW) will also be involved at 77kg as they try to confirm their spot for the European Championships.

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) defeated Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 3-1, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Olympic rematch at 82kg

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) rocked his neighbouring country Kyrgyzstan at the Paris Olympic when he defeated the favorite and world champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ). Kyrgyzstan was hoping that Makhmudov would create history by becoming the country's first-ever Olympic champion.

Both have gradually returned to action. In Tirana, both are entered at 82kg and it won't be a surprise if they clash as well. However, Makhmudov would like to avenge that Paris loss.

Also at 82kg are Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) and comeback man and former world medalist Viktor NEMES (SRB).

Iran is bringing a small squad in Tirana but it made sure to bring Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), perhaps the best heavyweight Greco wrestler in the world. The 130kg gold will, most likely, be his.