Grappling Shines Bright in Kazakhstan as 2019 World Champions Decided

Monday, September 23, 2019 - 13:17 By United World Wrestling Press

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (Sept. 23 and 24) --- Athletes from 18 nations made the trip to Kazakhstan to claim individual and team world titles in No-Gi Grappling and Grappling Gi styles. The competition took place in Bary’s Arena following the Greco Roman, Women’s Wrestling and the Freestyle Wrestling World Championships. This was the second year in which Kazakhstan played host to No-gi Grappling and Grappling Gi world championships. These events are part of the lead up to Nur-Sultan hosting the 2021 World Combat Games which the Grappling styles will be a participant.

Men’s No- Gi Grappling

In the 62KG division, Anthony Guy DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) caught the attention of many with his positional and submission expertise. Winning his first qualification match 7-0, he then scored submission victories in the Quarter and Semi-Finals to advance to a finals match showdown with Magomedbek TEMEEV (RUS). After a brief exchange on the feet, DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) pulled guard giving TEMEEV (RUS) a 2-0 lead. After defending some aggressive guard passing from the Russian, DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) was able to sweep to bring the score to 2-2. With time running short DE OLIVEIRA (FRA), was awarded 1 point for a leg lock attempt.

Dmytro Baranov (UKR) was another highlight reel at 62KG and would go on to take home a bronze medal. After falling short in the opening round against DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) in a rematch of this year's European Finals. Baranov (UKR) would score two exciting submission victories to land his spot on the podium.

Gairbeg IBRAGIMOV (RUS) capped off a dominant run at Men’s No-gi Grappling 71KG with a 15-0 technical decision in the Finals match. He used a variety of takedowns and guard passes to overwhelm his opponent. He scored submission victories over opponents from Georgia and USA on Day 1 to reach the finals.

Team Russia once again proved their dominance, putting a finalist in all 8 final’s matches. They walked away with 7 golds and 1 silver as well as the team title. Team USA advanced 4 members to medal matches with Carlos SOTO walking away with the only medal, a silver at 92KG

Women’s Grappling No-gi

Zofia Maria SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) met Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) in the 58KG final. SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) jumped ahead early leading 2-0, she quickly attacked to secure the back control. SHAKALOVA (UKR) defended the back attack but got caught in a triangle choke as she worked her way out of the bad position and was again forced to defend. SHAKALOVA (UKR) found her way out of the submission attempt but, time ran out as she fell short on points 4-2.

At 64KG Meshi ROSENFELD (ISR) scored a submission victory over Iuliia TORIANSKAIA (RUS) after leading 4-3. She used an active guard during the tournament, scoring 3 submission victories, 1 victory on points and a victory by forfeit. Iuliia TORIANSKAIA (RUS) reached the final after making her Italian opponent tap-out in the Semifinals

Rimma ANUFRIEVA TROPINA (RUS) claimed her world championship title at 71KG in a come from behind victory. She trailed Magdalena Zofia LOSKA (POL) most of the match until LOSKA (POL) attacked a toe-hold. TROPINA (RUS) defended well and scrambled out and snatched up her own submission. Forcing her opponent to tap to a kneebar with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Russia once again lead all teams with 3 team members landing in the finals. Ukraine came second with 2 members in finals matches. Team France walked away with its 2nd gold medal No-gi Grappling with Claire France THEVENON’s gold medal at +71KG

Men’s Grappling Gi

Anthony Guy DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) once again secured gold this time in Men’s Grappling Gi at 62KG. He faced off against Dmytro Baranov (UKR). Baranov (UKR) had defeated him in the finals of this year's European Championship. Tied 2-2 with 3 minutes remaining in the match, DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) hit a slick backstep pass to go-ahead 5-2. He worked his way to the back control and finished a choke to win his 2nd gold medal of the day. Also at 62KG, hometown favorite Vladislav MUKHORTOV (KAZ) bounced back from a Quarterfinal’s points loss to submit his opponent in the bronze medal match.

Gairbeg IBRAGIMOV (RUS) had a scare early in his finals match against Abdyldabek KEKENOV (KGZ) in the 71KG final. With the matched tied 2-2, KEKENOV (KGZ) got behind IBRAGIMOV (RUS) and secured one hook from the back position forcing IBRAGIMOV (RUS) to defend his neck and back to not give up the 4 points. After scrambling back to the top position the Russian star racked up 14 more points to win big and secure his 2nd gold medal of the event.

Team Russian again advanced the most competitors to finals matches with 5, followed by team Poland with 3. Abdurahmanhaji MURTAZALIEV made sure Kyrgyzstan walked away with gold when he submitted his opponent in the 84KG final

Women’s Grappling Gi

Zofia Maria SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) squared off against Barbara CARIANI (ITA) in the 58KG Final. SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) opted for the guard pull after a minute of standing work. CARIANI (ITA) quickly forced her to the turtle position to avoid giving up points on the guard pass. After an exchange of leglock submissions, SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) worked her way on to the back of CARIANI (ITA) sinking in the hooks to take a 6-2 lead with 32 seconds remaining. A reversal by CARIANI (ITA) brought the score to 6-4 as time expired. Making Zofia Maria SZAWERNOWSKA (POL) champion of the world after 5 victories.

Meshi ROSENFELD (ISR) advanced past Irina GROMOVA (RUS) to win her 2nd gold medal of the day at 64KG. ROSENFELD (ISR) pulled guard at the start of the match giving GROMOVA (RUS) the 2-0 lead. Using a slick back take from the spider-guard ROSENFELD (ISR) took a 6-4 lead. She locked in a choke and it looked as though the match would end there. GROMOVA (RUS) displayed her toughness as she worked her way out and brought the score to 7-4. Time would run out there in an exciting finals match.

2026 U17 World Championships

Uzbekistan's Bunyod Lays Foundation with Second U17 World Title

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 18:46 By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 29) -- The name Bunyod means “foundation” in Persian and is given to boys across Uzbekistan and parts of Central and South Asia.

It’s a name that suits 16-year-old Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) perfectly. Unlike other U17 wrestlers, Bunyod Hasanov has his wrestling foundation firmly in place.

On Tuesday, Hasanov won his second U17 world title, first wrestler from Uzbekistan to do so, as Greco-Roman came to a close at the U17 World Championships in Baku.

Most U17 world titles are won based on physical superiority, last-second heroics or narrow moments that can swing either way. That is not to diminish past world champions, but only a handful of wrestlers possess the tactical maturity and wrestling intelligence to execute complete game plans at such a young age.

Hasanov has separated himself even from that elite group.

WATCH: Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) Wins Second U17 World Gold

Over the two World Championships, Hasanov demonstrated a brand of Greco-Roman rarely seen at the U17 level. He has a powerful gut-wrench, one of Greco-Roman's oldest and most effective turns.

He also has the pace to dictate the match and not fall into the passivity trap. He has the strength to throw as well, as he did Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) during the 51kg final on Tuesday.

In his four bouts in Baku, Hasanov won three via technical superiority -- a difference of at least eight points. The only bout that did not end by technical superiority was still under his complete control as he won 6-2, outscoring his opponents 25-4 in the tournament. Last year, Hasanov outscored his opponents 32-7 in four bouts, with two technical superiority wins.

Wrestling Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) celebrates after winning the 51kg world title, his second at U17 level. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 48kg world champion in Athens moved up to 51kg this year and made a stunning run to his second gold medal. His campaign in Baku differed from the one in Athens in many ways, but one thing that remained constant was Hasanov's control of the final.

Against returning bronze medalist Huseynli, he set the tone right from the start by going for the snaps and two-on-one. Huseynli was eventually called passive and Hasanov got the par terre from which he hit a remarkable suplex for four points.

He then lifted Huseynli again and threw him out of bounds for one point to lead 6-0. He then used his two-on-one to push the Azerbaijan wrestler towards the zone and score a stepout, swelling his lead to 7-0.

Wrestling Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) Bunyod HASANOV (UZB), below, throws Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) during the 51kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Facing a decisive stepout, Huseynli attempted a throw of his own but landed on his own back instead, surrendering two points. Those points made Hasanov a 9-0 winner, who managed a more animated celebration than last year.

With the strong foundations that led him to his second world gold, Bunyod Hasanov will hope to build on it in the future.

Thanks to Hasanov's gold, Uzbekistan finished fourth in the team standings with 85 points, 11 behind third-placed Iran, which topped the standings last year. Russia won the team title with 127 points, while host Azerbaijan placed second despite failing to win a gold medal.

Wax Melts Javadli

Apart from Huseynli, Azerbaijan had another finalist in U17 European champion Ali JAVADLI (AZE) at 51kg, but he too suffered a one-sided defeat to Rylex WAX (USA).

Javadli gave the packed arena, waiting for the Azerbaijan national anthem to be played on Wednesday, hope when he piled up four points from par terre in the first period with a strong gut wrench.

Wax, however, silenced the arena in the second period when he got the par terre. He used a trap-arm-gut to roll him six times and reducing Javadli to tears after the final whistle. Wax secured the United States' first U17 Greco-Roman world title since 2024 after the team went without one last year.

Wrestling Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) scores a takedown against Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) during the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Tahmasbpour Denies Barotov

Iran's disappointing tournament still had a bright spot in Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI), who upgraded his bronze from last year to gold at 60kg after an electric final. The Iranian's win also denied Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) from becoming Tajikistan's first-ever Greco-Roman world champion at any level.

At one point in the 60kg final, Barotov must have thought he had ended the drought for his country. Tahmasbpour scored a takedown and two turns using trap-arm to build a 6-0 lead in the first minute. And it seemed that he would run away with the final.

The match turned on its head before the break. Barotov countered an attempted duck under, forcing Tahmasbpour backward for two points. Moments later, Barotov switched to double underhooks and launched the Iranian for a throw. Initially, the officials awarded four points to Tahmasbpour, but a successful challenge reversed the call and gave Barotov four points instead, putting him ahead 6-6 on criteria.

Tahmasbpour, however, knew that Barotov was struggling with conditioning and he began snapping the Tajikistan wrestler. After one of the snaps, he jumped over Barotov and secured the takedown that eventually gave him an 8-6 victory.

Wrestling Janes NAZARYAN (ARM) Janes NAZARYAN (ARM) celebrates after winning the 71kg gold medal in Baku. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Nazaryan Repeats

Another returning champion Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), who won at 65kg last year in Athens, doubled up by winning the gold medal at 71kg in Baku. He made a comeback after falling behind against 65kg U17 European champion Aslan DZUEV (RUS) in the final.

Dzuev scored a headlock throw which the referees scored as two points as Nazaryan never seemed to have landed in danger. Russia challenged asking for four points but lost it, adding one point to Nazaryan's score. Dzuev then failed to score from par terre but led 3-1 at the break.

When Nazaryan got the par terre in the second period, he turned Dzuev with a strong gut-wrench and took a 4-3 lead that he defended to win his second U17 world title.

Wrestling Tomasz MITAL (POL) Tomasz MITAL (POL) became the first Poland wrestler in 10 years to win the Greco-Roman gold at U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Mital Breakthrough

At 92kg, U17 European champion Tomasz MITAL (POL) added a world title to his name and gave Poland its first U17 Greco-Roman gold medal in 10 years. Mital was up against Hlib YEVSIEIEV (UKR) in the gold medal bout and was in some trouble when Yevsieiev scored the first takedown to lead 2-0.

Mital pushed the pace in the second period and scored a running takedown around the zone and then lifted Yevsieiev, threw him outside the zone for a point and led 3-2. He defended his lead to win the gold medal and become only the fifth Poland wrestler to win a Greco-Roman gold at the U17 World Championships.

Click here for Women's Wrestling semifinal results

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Rylen WAX (USA) df. Ali JAVADLI (AZE), 13-5

BRONZE: Ognyan BURGAZOV (BUL) df. Armin ESMAEILI (IRI), via forfeit
BRONZE: Arsan ALIEV (RUS) df. Afruzbek IBRAGIMOV (UZB), 10-0

51kg
GOLD: Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) df. Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE), 9-0

BRONZE: Gevorg HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Saba ABASHIDZE (GEO), 5-0
BRONZE: Artem TKACHENKO (RUS) df. Vadim TARELUNGA (MDA), 7-5

60kg
GOLD: Amirreza TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) df. Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK), 8-6

BRONZE: Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB) df. Alexandru LUNGU (ROU), 10-2
BRONZE: Elmir CHARKAZOV (AZE) df. Hinata HANAMORI (JPN), 9-0

71kg
GOLD: Janes NAZARYAN (ARM) df. Aslan DZUEV (RUS), 4-3

BRONZE: Alinur TOLEUGALI (KAZ) df. Esmaeil ZAHERDOUST (IRI), 11-3
BRONZE: Ervin CZUCZOR (HUN) df. Kristiyan KRASTEV (BUL), 5-1

92kg
GOLD: Tomasz MITAL (POL) df. Hlib YEVSIEIEV (UKR), 3-2

BRONZE: Yusuf AKSU (TUR) df. Sandor ANTALY (HUN), 5-1
BRONZE: Amirreza MEHRITALAR (IRI) df. Mirjalol SHOVKATOV (UZB), 4-3

Grappling Shines Bright in Kazakhstan as 2019 World Champions Decided

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Uzbekistan's Bunyod Lays Foundation with Second U17 World Title