Jalolov adds U20 World title to impressive resume

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - 20:19 By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 16) -- The last time Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) was in Sofia, he went home as a world champion. Three years later, he returned to the Bulgarian capital to win his second age-group world title.

The '19 U17 world champion ran through the field at 65kg at the U20 World Championships and set up a final against returning silver medalist Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE). While he would have liked to wrestle full six minutes, Bayramov pulled out of the final due to a shoulder injury when Jalolov was leading 5-1 in the final.

With the win and his exploits at the senior level this year, Jalolov has ascertained that he belongs to the stage and can give Uzbekistan the freestyle star it is searching for.

In Ufa, Jalolov suffered an opening round to finish 10th while Bayramov lost to Shamil MAMMEDOV (RWF) in the final.

However, both looked in solid form in Sofia with Bayramov defeating U23 and U20 Asian champion Sujeet KALKAL (IND) in the semifinal.

But in the final, Jalolov proved too much for Bayramov who was called passive early before scoring a stepout. Jalolov then got on a single and scored a takedown. Trying to cover the deficit, Bayramov shot a double but hit his shoulder on Jalolov's leg and abandoned the attack. He then tapped for medical attention when Jalolov hit the counter.

The Azerbaijan corner decided to pull out of the final, giving Jalolov the win. A disappointed Bayramov cursed his luck for finishing with a second straight silver medal at the U20 Worlds.

This year, Jalolov has won bronze medals at the Istanbul and Almaty ranking events apart from the bronze at the U20 Asians. The Youth Olympic gold medalist will now hope to transition the age-group success at the senior level in what is one of the deepest weight classes in the world.

Benjamin KUETER (USA) won the 97kg U20 world title in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

USA wins 2 golds

In other finals on Tuesday, the USA won two gold medals while Iran and Azerbaijan won one each as five world champions were crowned.

18-year-old Benjamin KUETER (USA) emerged as the world champion at 97kg after securing a fall over '21 U17 world champion Rifat GIDAK (TUR) in the final.

Gidak got the hold over Kueter and scored an exposure using a seatbelt throw but Kueter quickly got out of it to score two of his own and then used a move that he learned wrestling folkstyle in the US.

"It started a little crazy but I hit this gut and felt the momentum coming along," Kueter said. "I got on top and the move I did was actually a folkstyle move which we do in the States. It's hard for foreigners as they don't get that feeling."

Gidak tried locking the hands to stop Kueter from getting the rolls but the American ultimately used an arm bar to pin the Turkey wrestler.

The Iowa City native, who is also an All-American in American football, explained that Gidak was stronger in defense.

"He was in a strong position," Kueter said. "He stopped me from going to one side but all I had to do was go the other way. I could hear coach Green yelling go around, go around and that was it."

Jore VOLK (USA) beat U20 Asian champion Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2, to win the 57kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Jore VOLK (USA) was the other world champion for the USA as he beat U20 Asian champion Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2, in a close 57kg final.

In a final of two halves, Volk took to Bazarbayev with continuous attacks and managed to circle behind Bazarbayev. He tried scoring a takedown but ended up dragging the Kazakhstan wrestler for a point. He did get the takedown in another sequence just before the break to lead 3-0.

"I was confident in my defense and even if I gave up points in the second period, I knew I will get one of my own," Volk said.

He did exactly that and forced Bazarbayev to attack. Volk was called passive and penalized for a singlet pull but with some classic underhook defense, the USA wrestler managed to win the title.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) celebrates after winning the 70kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

The USA could have crowned three champions but Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) beat Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA), 13-7, in a slugfest that saw him play out a tactical game in the final.

He began with a big two and two and tried to secure the fall but Mesenbrink managed to roll over and survive. He gave up a gut wrench before getting the reversal. Heybatov went into the break with a 7-1 lead.

The second period began with Mesenbrink scoring two stepouts but gave up a takedown as well. He scored one of his own and a stepout to cut the lead to 9-6. But Heybatov kept coming back and scoring takedowns to ultimately win 13-7.

Sobhan YARI (IRI) won the only gold for Iran on Tuesday. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 79kg, Sobhan YARI (IRI) gave Iran a gold medal as he beat Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM), 5-0, in the final.

The first period was a slow affair as both wrestlers were happy to not engage in scrambles. Yari led 1-0 at the break after getting a point for Mkrtchyan's passivity. A minute into the second period, he scored a takedown before another passivity point and stepout helped him secure the win with ease.

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) defeated Nicholas FELDMAN (USA), 11-1, in the 125kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran leads ahead

With Yari's gold and three more wrestlers winning their respective semifinals on Tuesday, Iran took control of the team title race by moving past the USA at the top spot.

In a strong show on Tuesday's semifinals, Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI), Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) reached the gold medal bouts.

Returning 86kg world champion Firouzpour reached the final at 92kg after handing Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) an 10-0 loss in the semifinal. The Asian champion was not scored upon in his three bouts on Tuesday and he will hope to keep a clean record in the final against Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) who reached the final beating Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 4-3.

'21 U17 world champion Masoumi also dominated his competition and reached the final with ease after beating Nicholas FELDMAN (USA), 11-1 in the semifinal. His pressure wrestling was once again on display, scoring stepouts at will against the USA wrestler.

Masoumi will have to beat U20 Asia silver medalist Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND) to win the title. Gaikwad defeated Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB), 6-0 in the other semifinal.

Habibzadeh will like to add a world title to his continental one at 61kg after he defeated Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 3-0, to reach the final. A point for passivity and a takedown was all the action in the bout.

But former U17 world bronze medalist Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) will be a tough match for him as the Japanese star looks to add a gold medal to his bronze from the 2019 Worlds in Sofia. In a high-scoring semifinal, Nishiuchi scored a 16-8 win over Mohit KUMAR (IND).

Both wrestlers had four-point moves in the first period which saw 16 points being scored with Nishiuchi leading 10-6. He added a takedown and gut in the second period before Kumar scored exposure. But Nishiuchi managed to win comfortably.

Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) outscored his opponents 38-2 on Tuesday. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The other finalist for Japan came at 74kg as Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN) set up the gold medal bout against U20 European champion and returning silver medalist Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE).

Kamiya wrestled '21 U17 world champion Sagar JAGLAN (IND) in the semifinal and displayed strong defense to win 9-2. Jaglan got hold of Kamiya's leg and tried to score a takedown when the Japan wrestler tripped him for four points. A double for another four-pointer all but sealed the match for Kamiya, avenging his 4-0 loss to Jaglan from the 2019 U15 Asian Championships.

Gadzhiev will be hoping to win the U20 world title after finishing second to Erfan ELAHI (IRI) last year at 70kg. Elahi lost 10-4 to Jaglan earlier in the day.

Overall, the U23 European champion outscored his opponents 38-2 including the 5-2 semifinal win over Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO).

Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), red, is hoping to upgrade his 2021 silver to gold in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Another returning silver medalist hoping to win the title is Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) as he reached the 86kg final against Bennett BERGE (USA).

Magamadov was stopped by Firouzpour last year but the France wrestler looks determined to win the gold this year. He defeated Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 11-2, in the semifinal. But his biggest win came in the quarterfinal when he leg laced Aref RANJBARI (IRI) to win in just over a minute.

Wednesday he will face Berge in the final who defeated Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR), 9-7, after being 5-0 down. Kucuksolak scored a four-pointer and a point for Berge's passivity but as the Turkey wrestler got tired, Berge scored five stepouts in the second period to make it 5-5 before adding two takedowns to make it 9-5. A consolation takedown gave Kucuksolak two points.

Apart from the freestyle medal bouts on Wednesday, women's wrestling begins at the U20 World Championships with 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg wrestlers going on the mat.

Podium The four medalists at 65kg in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

RESULTS

57kg:
GOLD: Jore VOLK (USA) df. Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2

BRONZE: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 11-0
BRONZE: Abhishek DHAKA (IND) df. Heorhii KAZANZHY (UKR), 8-5

65kg
GOLD: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE), via injury (5-1)

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Robert CORNELLA (USA), 6-6
BRONZE: Sujeet KALKAL (IND) df. Mykyta ZUBAL (UKR), 12-1

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA), 13-7

BRONZE: Hossein AGHAEI (IRI) df. Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM), 5-2
BRONZE: Mulaym YADAV (IND) df. Gigi KURKHULI (GEO), 12-2

79kg
GOLD: Sobhan YARI (IRI) df. Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM), 5-0

BRONZE: Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO) df. Bekir OVEC (TUR), 10-4
BRONZE: Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ) df. Soslan TIGIYEV (AZE), 18-10

97kg
GOLD: Benjamin KUETER (USA) df. Rifat GIDAK (TUR), via fall

BRONZE: NIRAJ (IND) df. Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO), 18-10
BRONZE: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 5-1

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI) vs. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN)

SF 1: Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI) df. Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 3-0
SF 2: Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) df. Mohit KUMAR (IND), 16-8

74kg
GOLD: Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN) vs. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)

SF 1: Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN) df. Sagar JAGLAN (IND), 9-2
SF 2: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) df. Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO), 5-2

86kg
GOLD: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) vs Bennett BERGE (USA)

SF 1: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 11-2
SF 2: Bennett BERGE (USA) df. Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR), 9-7

92kg
GOLD: Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) vs. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)

SF 1: Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) df. Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 4-3
SF 2: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) vs. Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND)

SF 1: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Nicholas FELDMAN (USA), 11-1
SF 2: Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND) df. Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB), 6-0

#WrestleAmman

Masoumi: Young star's quest for wrestling glory

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - 15:56 By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (March 18) — Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) already has his eyes set on next week’s Asian Championships in Amman. His goal is clear: gold. But the path to the podium runs through two opponents he knows all too well — Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) and BUHEEERDUN (CHN).

Two years ago at the Asian Championships in Astana, the then 18-year-old Masoumi suffered his only international losses to non-Iranian wrestlers. A semifinal defeat to Munkhtur was followed by a bitter loss to Buheeerdun in the bronze-medal bout at 125kg. Now, as a more focused and confident 20-year-old, Masoumi is eager to avenge those setbacks.

Masoumi has grown immensely since then. He is now a six-time world champion in various age groups, with two more titles added in 2024. In those competitions, he didn’t allow a single point to be scored against him. He continued his flawless form at the 2025 Zagreb Open, outscoring his opponents 42-0 in four matches. His elbow, which had once been a source of discomfort, is now fully healed, and Masoumi shows no signs of slowing down.

"I hope to use this experience and return to win the World Championships in Zagreb," he says after claiming gold in the Croatian capital.

Masoumi is on phone with his family, showing them the new sneakers he has bought in Zagreb. Not one but three pairs.

He loves shoes.

"I have a sneaker collection myself, and I really love shoes," he said. "I always carry a lot of them with me. For example, in this tournament alone, I brought five pairs. I mostly try to wear special brands and new collections. I think I have around 100 pairs of shoes."

That's where he spends most his money.

"I don't have to spend money on my face because it's perfect."

That is one way of easing off before the interview. Masoumi settles down with a big bar of chocolate which he finishes by the first two questions into the interview.

Masoumi has just won the Zagreb Open gold medal in a dominating manner and began the new Olympic cycle with a bang.

"The ultimate dream for every athlete is definitely an Olympic gold, and that’s mine as well," he says. "I want to stand on the podium in Los Angeles in four years."

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Masoumi is the most exciting heavyweight wrestling on the planet. He isn't your regular teenager of 125kg. Masoumi is a very quick for 125kg who destroys his opponents with a smile. He has six age-group world titles in three years.

He can gut-wrench, switch to the typical Iranian underhook pushouts and even wore down the opponents with his heavy-hands.

Masoumi was 16 when made his international debut at the 2021 U17 World Championships in Budapest at 110kg. He outscored his opponents 35-1 in four bouts and won gold. Then came the U20 World Championships next year. He won gold at 125kg and followed it with a gold medal at the U23 Worlds the same year. He was 17.

His senior debut came in 2022 at the World Cup in Coralville, Iowa, where he won all three of his bouts as Iran finished second to the United States.

The year 2023 wasn’t as fruitful, with Masoumi suffering losses at the Asian Championships and domestically. However, he was given the chance to challenge Zare for a spot in the Iranian team for the Paris Olympics. The match-up took place at the 2024 Zagreb Open, but Masoumi came up short.

Since then, he has bounced back with gold medals at five international tournaments, and now he is aiming for a sixth in Amman.

So, how did a wrestler from Gilan, a province not traditionally known for freestyle wrestling, rise to prominence so quickly?

“There’s no rivalry between us and Mazandaran,” Masoumi says. "It feels good to beat a province known for producing many wrestlers like Mazandaran, but I don’t feel good about defeating a specific city or village. There’s no animosity."

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) with his father Fardin. (Photo courtesy Amirreza Masoumi)

Masoumi was born in Masal village of the Gilan town in northern Iran. His father, Fardin, is a two-time World Championships medalists and the one who pushed him into wrestling.

"When I was three or four years old, when my father wrestled and I went to the competition hall to watch his practice, my childhood was intertwined with wrestling right there," he says. "I was able to get to know the wrestling environment much better in my childhood."

But it was a third-place finish, Masoumi's first medal at a national tournament, which resulted in congratulatory message and reception for Masoumi which he loved.

"I was 12 or 13 years old at the time," he said. "When I came third, I saw everyone come to our house and congratulate me, and I saw what a good feeling it was. So I tried to continue this process until now that I am here."

Standing tall at two metres, Masoumi is lanky for 125kg. More Geno than Zare. But he has to continuously monitor his weight which he does not want to go too high.

"My mother is almost 180cm tall and my father is 186cm," he said. "We're a tall family overall. However, I still control myself a lot to keep my weight down, especially since my mom tries not to feed me too much. I'm right on the edge for the 125 kg weight class, and if I gain any more weight, I'll have to cut it. That's why I'm very careful. My physique is also more similar to my mom and dad's."

Fardin was his first coach and Masoumi would watch his father's bouts against different competitors. While he kept a few techniques of his father, Masoumi was impressed with the others as well. Like the double underhooks he uses to drive his opponents out-of-bounds. Masoumi says he picked that from former world champion Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS).

"I mostly learned this from Makhov and his techniques in the World Championship final -- how he would get under his opponent’s armpit and drive them backward," he said. "I really liked how he was always moving forward. He was physically huge and kept attacking non-stop."

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) with former world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI). (Photo courtesy Amirreza Masoumi)

As he kept putting Gilan on the wrestling map, Masoumi was now being known. People will come to his home, farm and his father's business to congratulate. Being a successful Iran has its share of challenges. Growing up in Gilan and around wrestling, Masoumi wasn't unaware of the pressure it brings. There are fans who become your coach from stands, or even warm-up partners. Iran wrestlers are in the public eye most of their lives.

"I don't know about other countries, but in Iran, it's like that," Masoumi says. "It's the love."

Masoumi's first experience of "stardom" came after he former Asian champion Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) at the selection trials in Iran.

"When I came out [of the stadium], there was a huge crowd, and a lot of spectators had come for the wrestling," Masoumi recalls ."I noticed many fans were coming up to take pictures with me. That’s when I felt like I was slowly entering an environment with a lot of pressure, and I realized I was growing in this kind of atmosphere."

Masoumi's personality clicks with the fans. He is humble yet celebrates his wins, he acknowledges the fans and doesn't shy away from being cheeky with his opponents after winning the bouts. He also witty.

"I think this comes down to my personality. I’m a bit hyperactive and always try to have my own unique style without being afraid," he says.

He expects them in Amman as well.

For Masoumi, the Asian Championships hold major significance -- not just for this year, but for his entire career. While world champion and Olympic silver medalist Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) holds the top spot for Iran at 125kg, Masoumi is gunning for that position.

A gold medal in Amman would give Masoumi the chance to challenge Zare for a spot on Iran team for the 2025 World Championships.

"My opponent, Zare, is a tough competitor," Masoumi says. "I’ve been wrestling against him in Iran’s national team trials for three years now. I believe I can secure my spot on the national team this year and win gold at the World Championships."

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) defeated Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) in the 125kg final at the Zagreb Open in 2024. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Zare is also in top form, having won gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in similar dominant fashion. The world waits for their third meeting, likely at the Takhti Cup, Iran’s premier tournament, at the end of April. The winner of the best-of-three series will secure a spot at the World Championships.

"I need to compete in the Asian Championships," Masoumi says. "Any wrestler who wants to start in Iran should begin with the Takhti Cup and then move on to the 2025 World Championships."

Masoumi believes his unique wrestling style will give Zare trouble.

"I feel that match will be a great one for all wrestling fans. I think my wrestling style in the heavyweight category is quite unique. I don’t think there’s anyone in Iran’s heavyweight division with a six-pack. Naturally, in my mind, I aim to defeat Amirhossein to make up for my two previous losses."

Jalolov adds U20 World title to impressive resume

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Masoumi: Young star's quest for wrestling glory