#WrestleBelgrade

Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 1: GR 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg

Monday, November 1, 2021 - 08:50 By United World Wrestling Press

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 1) -- The U23 World Championships get underway in Belgrade, Serbia with Greco-Roman action. Five weight classes -- 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg -- will be in action on day one of the competitions at the Belexpocentar.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

1430: That will do for the morning session of the first day at the U23 World Championships. Iran puts four in the semifinals while Russia has three. We will be back for the semifinals at 1800 local time

1420: Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) comes from behind to score a 10-5 win over Erkan ERGEN at 77kg and secures a place in the semifinals

1410: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) looks unstoppable today! He beats Anton SAVENKO (KAZ) and moves into the semifinals at 130kg. At 55kg, Taylor LA MONT (USA) is into the semifinals after beating Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) 6-3

1350: Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO) gets the fall! He moves on to the semifinal at 87kg after beating Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR)

1330: Abuladze is called passive and Tibilov gets the lift. He is unable to score and it's the Georgian who lands on top and scores 2. Russia challenges the call. It stands. A point for the lost challenge as well. Abuladze leads 6-1. Pushout adds one more. He hangs on for a 7-3 win

1320: We are beginning with the quarterfinals here in Belgrade. A big bout on Mat A as Leri ABULADZE (GEO) takes on Georgii TIBILOV (RUS). The Russian is called passive and Abuladze gets a roll to lead 3-0 at the break

1300: A battle worthy of a final but we saw it in the 1/8 finals. Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) and Mikhail LAPTAEV (RUS) in an intense battle but the Iranian comes out on top 2-1. He moves on into the quarterfinals.

1230: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) was called passive twice but he defends the par terre position against Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) and won 1-1 at 55kg 

1210: No stopping Aleksandr KOMAROV (RUS)! He defeats 2020 Asian champion Sunil KUMAR (IND) 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals at 87kg

1200: 2019 World bronze medalist Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI) has no trouble going past NEERAJ (IND) at 63kg. Easy 9-0 win for the Iranian

1145: World silver medalist Leri ABULADZE (GEO) doesn't take much time to get his first win over Assaukhat MUKHAMADIYEV (KAZ). He wins 5-1 at 63kg.  

1130: U23 Euro champion Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) with the fireworks. A big throw to secure a 9-0 win over Andrej GINC (GER) at 63kg

1115: Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) was trailing 1-5 in the opening round at 77kg but makes a comeback to beat Lamjed MAAFI (TUN) 8-5

1100: Tokyo Olympian and Asian champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) has put the right steps to start his tournament. He wins 6-1 against Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR) 

1050: Another great start for Russia as Mikhail LAPTEV (RUS) makes it look easy against Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE) with a 9-1 win. 

1040: U23 European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (RUS) with a big 3-1 win Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) to get going at the 87kg 

1030: Welcome to the U23 World Championships! A day after the UWW Congress where Nenad LALOVIC was re-elected as the UWW President, the limelight shifts to wrestling. Greco-Roman will get us going.

#WrestleZagreb

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final

Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 16:24 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 14) -- For five minutes and 50 seconds in both the 74kg semifinals, there was little indication that the results will change. But 10 seconds were enough for Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) to change the outcome.

Valiev was down 4-2 against Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) but managed to elevate the latter's leg from an attack before tripping him on the edge for a two-point takedown, taking a 4-4 criteria lead with three seconds remaining.

Sidakov tried a desperate attack but gave up another takedown even in that short time as Valiev reached his first-ever World Championships final on debut in Zagreb, Croatia.

Takahashi was down 4-1 against Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but the Japanese scored a takedown and turned Salkazanov through a gut-wrench to lead 5-4. He still had 6 seconds to defend and he managed to do it with ease. Slovakia challenged for fleeing from Takahashi but that was lost which added an additional point to make it 6-4.

Valiev and Takahashi, both with clutch wins, will now clash in the 74kg final for the world title on Monday.

Three other weight classes were also in action on Sunday and the United States was the only country to put two wrestlers in the finals -- Levi HAINES (USA) at 79kg and Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg.

Haines, who stunned world champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, scored a controlled 4-1 victory over Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) in the semifinals. Olonbayar got the first point via passivity of Haines but the U.S. wrestler scored a counter exposure for two points and take a 2-1 lead.

He scored a ankle pick for another two-point takedown and defended his 4-1 lead for the win and reach the final, a surprise in a tough 79kg bracket.

On Monday, he will try to stop Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) from becoming Greece's first-ever wrestling world champion in history. The European champion from Greece showed some of the most high-paced wrestling in the semifinal against world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) to win 8-3.

Nokhodi, was often stood squared-up, had no answered to Kougioumtsidis' constant attacks as the Greece wrestlers led 6-3 at the break. He scored a single-leg takedown in the second period and won 8-3.

Hidlay, who has switched levels in his career this year, reached the final at 92kg after destroying world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4, in the semifinals.

Nurmagomedov was in the match when the score was 5-4 with 2:23 left but Hidlay switch gears since, scoring a go-behind, a feet-to-back four-pointer and a takedown to finish with a technical superiority win.

He will face Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Gadzhimagomedov managed to hold off Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) for an 11-6. Firouzpour, who had multiple age-group world titles, kept shooting for Gadzhimagomedov's legs but the UWW wrestler kept countering those attack with lift exposures.

Gadzhimagomedov then sealed the win with stepout, handing him a 9-6 lead and a takedown finishing the match 11-6.

Harutyunyan pinned after Lee heroics

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) undoubtedly had the most impressive win of the morning session when he defeated Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

The win put Harutyunyan as the favorite to advance to the final at 57kg. However, Asian champion Chongsong HAN (PRK) had different ideas. He hit a lateral drop on Harutyunyan in the semifinals and secured a fall to enter the final. Han is the first Freestyle wrestler from the DPR Korea to enter the final in 11 years.

Han will now try to become a world champion when he takes on Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in the 57kg final after the Kyrgyz wrestler took it to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), winning 8-0.

Abdullaev seemed to have burnt out from the earlier matches and had little fight left in him as Almaz Uulu scored points at his will in the semifinals including four stepouts.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) vs. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)

SF 1: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 8-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 6-4
SF 2: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 8-3
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) vs. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW)

SF 1: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4
SF 2:  Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 9-6