#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2026 Greco-Roman Results & Highlights Updated

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 19) -- The final day of the Budapest Ranking Series 2026 will see six Greco-Roman weight classes - 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 82kg, 97kg and 130kg. The biggest talking point is the return of Tokyo Olympic champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS).

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | GRECO-ROMAN STORYLINES

130kg semifinal - Marat KAMPAROV (RUS) clears the semifinal hurdle with a 1-1 criteria win over Wenhao JIANG (CHN) and he will face Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) for the gold medal after he won 5-1 against Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN).

97kg semifinals - Musa EVLOEV's (RUS) comeback is cut short by Alex SZOKE (HUN) in the 97kg semifinal. Evloev held a 1-1 criteria lead but Szoke pushed him towards the zone. Evloev, trying to prevent a stepout, went for the headlock throw but Szoke escaped and scored a takedown to take a 3-1 lead with 33 seconds left in the bout. He defend it to win. For the gold medal, he will face another Russian as Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) blanked Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), 10-0. After scoring from par terre, Ermolenko scored a stepout to lead 6-0 and then threw Niftullayev for four points to win 10-0

82kg semifinals - Asian champion Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) enters the final after a 4-1 win over Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO). Badghimofrad managed a go-behind when Mikeladze slipped in the second period to lead 2-1. Georgia challenged that there was leg foul but lost the challenge which made the score 3-1. The Qatar wrestler got the par terre and won 4-1.

Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) with a throw from par terre against Mihail BRADU (MDA) to lead 5-0 and then defends from par terre to complete a 5-1 win.

63kg semifinals - Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS), who last wrestled internationally in 2021, Kerem KAMAL (TUR) counters with a throw but only gets a stepout to lead 1-1 on criteria. Kamal with a powerful takedown in the second period to extend his lead to 3-1. He tries a throw but cannot complete it but Russia challenge for two points as Lokyaev fell on top of Kamal. Challenge as lost as it was all Kamal's risk. The two keeping getting their holds and locks but Kamal manages another stepout for a 5-1 lead. A stepout for Lokyaev but Kamal enters the final after a 5-2 win. 

European champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) holds on to a 1-1 criteria win over Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT).

60kg semifinals - Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) blanks Asian champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB). What a performance from Sharshenbekov as he starts with a takedown and then gets the par terre to lead 3-0. He starts the second period with an strong throw for four points but Uzbekistan challenge the call and it is called a leg-foul from Sharshenbekov and the score is reversed to 3-0. But no stopping Sharshenbekov as he scores a go-behind and gets two points and lead 5-0. A tiring Ganiev gives up a stepout which is again cancelled after challenge. But Ganiev cannot get a point on Sharshenbekov who 

Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ) uses his experience to hold off  Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ), 10-6, in the other semifinal and will now face Sharshenbekov for the gold medal.

55kg semifinals - In a rematch of the Asian Championships final, Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) slams LALIT (IND) using an arm throw for four points. India challenges that it was only two points for the throw. Though the four points stood, Lalit got two points for a block in danger and Botirov came on top and got the reversal point, giving Botirov a 5-2 lead. There is no more action or points in this bout as Botirov enters the final.

Brady KOONTZ (USA) stuns Artiom DELEANU (MDA) , 8-5, after a takedown and two stunning throws. He gave four points in the second period but held his lead to enter the final

13:33: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) hit a head throw against Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) and led 8-1. But Akbudak forfeits the match due to an elbow injury. It's the same one he had a surgery before. Badaghimofrad advances to 82kg semifinals

13:30: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) into the 60kg semifinal after a technical superiority 8-0 win over Mahmoud SAAD (EGY). He scored six points from par terre to lead 7-0 at the break and then gets the one point for the win in the second period

13:15: Asian champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) with a 16-second pin over BAOYINJIYA (CHN) at 60kg. Might have been called a little too quickly

13:11: Asian champion Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) needed a late stepout to beat Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ), 6-5, at 55kg. Kurbayev with a beautiful suplex in the second period to lead 5-5 on criteria but failed to hold on to it.

13:10: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) moves into the 97kg semifinals after Kevin MEJIA (HON) has to forfeit due to injury. Evloev got the par terre but failed to score as Mejia defended. Mejia actually scored a reversal but was cancelled on a challenge. Evloev then scored a takedown and Mejia called for a medical timeout.

12:58: European champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) keeps Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) at bay and wins 5-1 at 63kg. He got two par terre position and scored three stepouts in his win.

12:40: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) counters Aftandil TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) with a block after takedown and launches the Asian champion for two turns and lead 8-2. He thought he finished the match when a correct throw was counted for two points but Kyrgyzstan challenged and the points were cancelled as Taalaibek Uulu never came in danger. The second period remained pointless and Kamal won 8-2

12:30: Sergei SEMENOV (RUS) worked on a great throw for four points on Gino DILBERT (HON) but seemed to have injured his knee when landed. He forfeits the 130kg after the injury

12:20: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) needed a challenge to survive. Leading 6-5, Akbudak was struggling with conditioning and Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) pushed him out for one point and make it 6-6 with Akbudak leading on criteria. However, Akbudak challenged and on review, Zhadrayev was seen grabbing the singlet. The stepout was cancelled and Akbudak led 6-5 again. Moreover, it gave him time to catch a breather. He gave up a stepout at the end but Akbudak was still a 6-6 criteria winner. Kazakhstan challenged for fleeing but lost it to add one more point to Akbudak's score and win 7-6

12:15: Alex SZOKE (HUN) gets the par terre in the first period but fails to score. Hayk Khloyan (ARM) gets the par terre in the second period but fails to score. With the score 1-1, Szoke wins on first-point scored criteria. 

12:12: Asian champion Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) begins his 82kg campaign with a 4-1 win over Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB) at 82kg.

11:42: Musa EVLOEV (RUS), first time competing at UWW tournament in 5 years, begins with a 3-0 win over Timothy YOUNG (RUS) at 97kg. He got two points for par terre in each period and one stepout for the win.

11:40: World silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) with a close 2-1 win over Enes BASAR (TUR) at 60kg. Ganiev with a stepout from par terre to lead 2-0 and then Basar doesn't score any points from par terre and Ganiev defends his lead.

11:35: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) looking incredibly locked in! After his first victory via fall, he now beats Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) 10-0 in the second bout at 63kg. Sharshenbekov, who built a 7-0 lead from par terre, needed 39 seconds in the second period to score a takedown against Aliyev to win. Aliyev challenged the takedown but lost it to add one more point to the score of Sharshenbekov.

11:20: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) gets one back in his rivalry against Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ). The Kazakhstan wrestler, who defeated Makhmudov at the Paris 2024 and went on to win silver, pins Makhmudov at 82kg. Makhmudov tried to gut-wrench Zhadrayev from par terre but Kazakhstan wrestler blocked and grabbed the arm to get the fall.

11:12: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) with some highlights. He launches Sunny KUMAR (IND) for two massive throws, second of which was a five-point slam as he win at 63kg, 10-0

11:00: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), who recently defeated Musa EVLOEV (RUS), now gets the better of Paris 2024 Paris medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) at 97kg. Khloyan scored a turn from par terre in the first period and then was awarded par terre in the second period as well. He scored another gut-wrench to lead 6-0. Dzhuzupbekov did not score any points from par terre and lost a challenge as well to hand a 7-1 win to the Armenian

10:45: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) hits Dalton ROBERTS (USA) with an underhook throw and completes the fall in in quick time. Sharshenbekov, who wrestled at 63kg at the Ulaanbaatar Open in his first tournament since Paris 2024, is now at 60kg.

#WrestleBudapest

Amine downs Kurguliev, USA wins three #WrestleBudapest gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 13) -- The 86kg weight class in wrestling has long revolved around two superstars, Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and David TAYLOR (USA). These two athletes have been trading World Championships and Olympic gold for the past five years.

However, their dominance is being challenged by a rising group of wrestlers, including Myles AMINE (SMR), the 2022 European champion. Amine, who won the Tokyo Olympic bronze medal, won a historic first European title for San Mario in Budapest last year and added silver at the 2023 edition.

Three months after their intense European Championships final, Amine and Kurguliev faced off again in the Budapest Ranking Series final on Thursday. It seemed like a déjà vu for Amine as he found himself trailing 1-1, with Kurguliev threatening to score a takedown and take the lead, much like in the European final.

Amine recognized the importance to attack and he executed a single leg takedown. Kurguliev countered and came close to securing a takedown before Amine escaped and earned two points by taking Kurguliev down. That was all Amine needed and he knew he had done enough.

Although Amine did give up a stepout in the remaining minute of the bout, it didn't matter much as he held on to win 3-2, seeking revenge for his loss in Zagreb.

"I wanted to remain locked in for six minutes," Amine said. "It was really simple -- a takedown or scramble."

Amine, who trains at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club at the University of Michigan, looked like being on a mission on Thursday, beginning with a 4-2 win over Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL) in the opening round. He followed that with an 11-1 technical superiority win over Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ) and a 5-0 win over  Lars SCHAEFLE (GER) in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Osman GOCEN (TUR) posed a threat by leading 4-2. However, Amine managed to score every time he fell behind and secured a 9-8 victory.

Similar to the European final, the Budapest Ranking Series final began slowly with both wrestlers receiving penalties for inactivity. Kurguliev even took two injury timeouts for his ankle. Despite their attempts to maintain control, it was evident that a scramble was imminent.

"I think it [Thursday's bout] was similar to the European Championships final," Amine said. "My execution was better as I wanted to remain locked in for six minutes."

Perhaps Kurguliev felt the heat of Amine's constant pressure that even though he got behind Amine in a scramble but failed to finish.

"I was not thinking anything during that scramble," Amine said. "I've pulled the rabbit out of the hole a few times in my career and I attribute that to not thinking too much. I wrestle every day and I am in these situations so."

Amine's win puts the focus back on the 86kg field for the World Championships. Wrestlers have been trying to catch up with Taylor and Yazdani and the Belgrade World Championships could be the first when both can be challenged.

"Those guys [Taylor and Yazdani] have earned the place with consistent results," Amine said. "But that's what we all are trying to do now [and catch them]. I treat it as one bout at a time."

The University of Michigan had a field day as Mason PARRIS (USA) won gold at 125kg after beating local star Daniel LIGETI (HUN) in the final.

Ligeti got the crowd with a four-point arm throw, but he was forced to forfeit the bout due to a leg injury. At that point, Parris was leading 9-4.

Kyle SNYDER (USA) added another gold medal for the United States, triumphing in the 97kg weight class after Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) withdrew from the gold medal bout.

Although both wrestlers reached the final, they had a slow start. Magomedov narrowly defeated Vladislav BAITCAEV (HUN) 7-6 in the opening bout, while Snyder secured a one-point victory over Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), winning 3-2.

However, as the day progressed, both wrestlers found their rhythm. Snyder achieved a dominant 10-0 victory over Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ), while Magomedov defeated Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 6-3.

In the semifinals, Snyder continued his impressive form with another 10-0 win, this time against Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ), while Magomedov secured a 7-2 victory against Erik THIELE (GER).

Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won gold at 92kg after he defeated Matthew FINESILVER (USA) 10-0 in the final.

Valencia experienced a setback in Round 1 with a 6-3 loss against Amirali AZARPIA (IRI), but he composed himself and bounced back to win the gold against Finesilver.

After the initial loss, Valencia defeated Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) 8-2 in Round 2 and overcame world bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 5-3 to secure a spot in the semifinals, where he defeated Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) 10-0.

Tumur Ochir wins again

Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) maintained his exceptional performance this year by claiming another gold medal in the Ranking Series. He previously won in Zagreb and Bishkek and secured a silver medal at the Asian Championships. His only loss this year came against world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI).

Tumur Ochir's impressive performance in Budapest included victories over Iszmail MUSZUKAJAEV (HUN) and Nicholas LEE (USA). Notably, Lee, who will represent the US at the World Championships this year, suffered a surprising 10-0 loss in the final.

After defeating Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ), Tumur Ochir faced Muszukajaev once again and utilized his underhooks effectively to keep the Hungarian wrestler at bay. Muszukajaev struggled to mount an attack and lost 3-0, marking his second loss to Tumur Ochir this year, following their encounter in Zagreb.

Lachlan MCNEIL (CAN) met a similar fate as Tumur Ochir dominated their semifinal, winning 10-0 and securing a place in the final against Lee, who achieved a commanding 10-0 victory against Joshua FINESILVER (ISR) and Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ).

Lee had no business winning the semifinal against Islam DUDAEV (ALB) but pulled off a buzzer-beating takedown to win 6-4.

However, Tumur Ochir wasted no time in asserting his dominance in the final, executing a big four-point move using underhooks and nearly pinning Lee. As Lee defended, Tumur Ochir capitalized with two gut wrenches to take an 8-0 lead. A final takedown sealed the victory for the 2021 world bronze medalist.

At 57kg, Wanhao ZOU (CHN) surprised everyone by claiming the gold medal with an 11-3 victory over Almaz SMANBEKOV in the final.

Zou began his campaign with a 5-0 win over Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) and proceeded to defeat Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) 3-1 in the quarterfinals. He then shut out Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI) with a 5-0 win to secure a spot in the final against Smanbekov, who advanced with a 2-2 victory over Zane RICHARDS (USA).

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RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ), 11-3

BRONZE: Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) df. Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI),8-4
BRONZE: Zane RICHARDS (USA) df. Niklas STECHELE (GER), 5-2

65kg
GOLD: Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. Nicholas LEE (USA), 10-0

BRONZE: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ), 11-5
BRONZE: Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) df. Lachlan MCNEIL (CAN), 10-0

74kg
GOLD: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) df. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ), 5-2

BRONZE: Krisztian BIRO (ROU) df. Byungmin GONG (KOR), 8-7
BRONZE: Feng LU (CHN) df. Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR), 8-3

86kg
GOLD: Myles AMINE (SMR) df. Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), 3-2

BRONZE: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 2-0
BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Lars SCHAEFLE (GER), 8-0

92kg
GOLD: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Matthew FINESILVER (ISR), 10-0

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), via inj. def.

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ), 9-0
BRONZE: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Erik THIELE (GER), 3-1

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), via injury (8-4)

BRONZE: Zhiwei DENG (CHN) df. Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA), 6-1
BRONZE: Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR) df. Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER), 7-6