#WrestleBelgrade

Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 5: FS 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, 97kg

Friday, November 5, 2021 - 08:57 By United World Wrestling Press

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 5) -- As we move towards the business end of the tournament, freestyle action takes center stage at the U23 World Championships in the Serbian capital. Wrestlers from 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg will be on the mat for their qualification and semifinal Friday.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

The semifinals for freestyle will begin at 1645 local time and we will be back for that. Thank you for following and join us for the next session.

1520: What a bout closing out the session! Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) was down 3-4 with about 15 seconds left and then he scores two points via takedown on the edge. Refs white paddle it but Armenia challenge and win it. 5-4 to Tevanyan with nine seconds left. He wins 5-4

1510: Aliakbar FAZLIKHALILI (IRI) and Akmataliev match each other for attacks but it's the latter who has a 4-2 lead. But Fazlikhalili continues to attack. Akmataliev continues to counter. It's 10-6 Akmataliev with 10 seconds to go. It stays that way and Akmataliev makes his way to the semifinals at 70kg

1505: Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) was trailing 0-2 with just seven seconds left but he scored a takedown and leveled it 2-2 to earn the victory and move into the semifinal of 65kg.

1450: Two big matches coming up as Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) is wrestling on Mat A while Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) in on Mat C. 

1425: Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) led 8-6 against Rezuan KAZHAROV (RUS) when the two arm-locked each other and went out of bounds. The refs called it no points but the Kazakhstan corner challenged it asking for two points. Challenge lost and it became 8-8 with Talgat leading on criteria. Kazharov then scores a final second takedown to win 10-8

1410: Jonathan AIELLO (USA) for the win! He scores a takedown to lead 4-4 on criteria and then hangs on to it to win against Shamil GADZHIALIEV (RUS). He will wrestle in the 97kg semifinals

1400: Strong start from Oslo Worlds silver medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) at 70kg. He gives up two exposure points but has no trouble scoring 12 unanswered points to win 12-2 and reach the quarterfinals

1355: Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) is keeping it simple here. He scores a controlled 4-1 win over PARVINDER (IND). Great defense from the former cadet world champion

1330: The quarterfinals at 97kg are set.

1. Zuriko URTASHVILI (GEO) vs Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
2. Radu LEFTER (MDA) vs Milan KORCSOG (HUN)
3. Shamil GADZHIALIEV (RUS) vs Jonathan AIELLO (USA)
4. Sahil AHLAWAT (IND) vs Danylo STASIUK (UKR)  

1315: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) continues his winning run and moves into the quarters with a 10-0 thrashing of Oktay HASAN (BUL).

1250: Mohammadnezhadjavan with a big four after Glory's exposure but the USA wrestler still leads. A lot of scramble there and it's 11-5 for Glory. The Iran wrestler has less than a minute to win this. He gets a takedown and then a gut to make it 11-9. He is looking for another gut and gets it on the edge. 11-11. 18 seconds to go. He defends the criteria lead

1240: Patrick GLORY (USA) and Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI) are in an intense battle but it's Glory who leads at the half way mark 5-1

1220: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) had a tough one to start against Shamil USTAEV (GER) but he hangs on for a 3-1 win. A takedown the difference

1200: Toktogul Uulu with a hard-fought win over Arushanian! They traded a takedown each but the Kyrgyzstan wrestler led 4-3 with ten seconds remaining. Arushanian tries hard to get a step out but Uulu circles back as time expire

1145: Pilidis gave up the lead 2-2 on criteria but he finds a final attack with a double leg and score two points to win 4-2. On the other side on Mat A, junior Euro champion Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) is facing Aibek TOKTOGUL UULU (KGZ).

1130: Junior world silver Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) gets a walkover in his first bout. We have to wait a little more to see him in action on the mat. Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympian Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) is making his way on Mat C

1120: Ibragim ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS) could not have asked for a better World Championships debut as he beats Colin REALBUTO (ITA) 11-0 with a strong leg lace

1110: On Mat B, Asian silver medalist Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) scores four straight points to beat VICKY (IND) 4-4 in the opening round at 79kg. It was a little tense for Iran there

1100: Junior Euro bronze Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO) is up against Saurabh IGAVE (IND). Two points to start for Igave and then he adds a four-point throw. Turmanidze starts the second period with a four-point and then adds a takedown to make it 7-6. Igave has locked a double leg and he will finish leading 8-7. The Georgian with a front headlock for exposure for two. India reversal and it's 10-9 Igave. Georgia challenge

1030: Welcome to day five of the U23 World Championships in Belgrade. The freestyle wrestlers are ready to begin the day. Another rainy day in the Serbian capital. We will have a few repechage bouts before moving to the qualifications.

#WrestleSamokov

Iliasov levels up to win 130kg gold; Iran Greco champ again

Sunday, August 24, 2025 - 19:38 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 24) -- Ali ILIASOV (UWW) made his international wrestling debut at the European U20 Championships in July and won a silver medal. Two months later, the 18-year-old is a world champion.

Wrestling at his career first World U20 Championships on Sunday, Iliasov emerged at the champion in the 130kg weight with victories over rivals more experienced and heavier, literally, than him.

Weighing only 115kg for the 130kg final, Iliasov defeated returning silver medalist Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) in the semifinals and on Sunday, he managed to humble two-time world U17 champion Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) in the final and win the gold medal.

"I’m underweight for the class but I feel a kind of relief," Iliasov said. "I’ve fulfilled a small dream of mine. I still haven’t fully realized that I’ve become a world champion."

Overall, Iran became the team champions with 117 points. Armenia managed second-place finish with 98 points and Azerbaijan was third with 90 points. This was Iran's fourth straight team win in Greco at the World U20 Championships.

Ali ILIASOV (UWW)Ali ILIASOV (UWW) turns Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) for two points during the 130kg final at the World U20 Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iliasov was only 10 seconds into the final against Bakir when he used an arm-drag and had Bakir in trouble. Bakir managed to stop the takedown but he stepped out and was cautioned for fleeing as well. Iliasov led 2-0 after this sequence.

A similar arm drag brought down Bakir to the mat and Iliasov scored his first takedown. A stepout made the score 5-0. Iliasov remained relesntless in his attacks and a snapdown helped him score another takedown on Bakir. He then turned Bakir for the match-winning gut-wrench.

"I managed to beat my opponent so decisively was because I was extremely confident in myself, even more confident than he was," he said.

While he blanked Bakir in the final, Iliasov did have his share of close bout in Samokov. In his opening bout, Iliasov had a close 7-6 victory over Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW). He scored a technical superiority win over Leonhard JUNGER (AUT) in the second match before facing Fathitanzangi in the semifinals.

"I would say I was warming up, a little nervous [in the first bout]," he said. "After that first match I completely opened up."

In the semifinals, Iliasov led 3-0 when Fathitanzangi went for a pushout. Iliasov tried to stop it by throwing Fathitanzangi but he landed on his back and the Iranian wrestler was given two points.

As Fathitanzangi was awarded par terre position in the second period, he also got the 3-3 criteria lead over Iliasov. The Iranian tried defending his lead for the win but Iliasov managed to circle around and bring him down for two points. Fathitanzangi pulled one back with a stepout but that was all as Iliasov entered the gold-medal bout with a 5-4 win.

"My performance can be rated 9 out of 10," he said. "Because in the semifinal I strayed a bit from my tactics, lost focus, and almost gave away points."

With experience from this World U20 Championships, Iliasov now wants to switch to senior level as early as next year.

"I’ll try at the senior level," he said. "Of course, that’s another level, wrestler with much more experience. But I’ll do my best to test myself."

Georgia double

Georgia earned two gold medals on the final day of the World U20 Championships, a feat the country has not achieved since 2016.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) and Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) came out with dominant performances in the 77kg and 87kg finals respectively to bring home two golds for Georgia.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO)Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) hits a counter attack against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) during the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 77kg, Putkaradze was up against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) in the final and got the par terre position. He managed to turn Bouveiri two times for a 5-0 lead. In the second period Bouveiri had the chance to turn it around when he the top position in par terre.

Things, however, did not go that way. As Bouveiri was trying lift Putkaradze, the Georgian countered with a bodylock and then slammed him for two-point takedown. He then turned the Iranian for two more points and won the gold medal, 9-1. Iran challenged for a foul but there was none and one more point was added to his score to make it 10-1.

Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO)Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) celebrates with his coach after winning the 87kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The second gold came from Kochalidze as he pinned Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW) in the 87kg final. In a rematch of the European U20 Championships final at 87kg, Abdulkadyrov was hoping to avenge his loss from Carole, Italy.

He was given the par terre advantage in the first period and he tried turning Kochalidze, who blocked the turn but lost his grip as well and the turns were called neutral. As Abdulkadyrov was back on top, he again tried to turn Kochalidze who managed stop Abdulkadyrov and kept him on the mat till the fall was called.

Georgia was the only country to win two gold medals in this competition in Greco-Roman.

At 63kg, senior Asian champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) proved why he will be medal threat in Zagreb with a dominant run to gold-medal. He defeated Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2, with two big four-point throws.

Khalmakhanov began with a underhook throw for a takedown in the first 20 seconds. He tried the same move again but Margaryan blocked and scored a takedown for a 2-2 criteria lead. Late in the first period, Khalmakhanov was awarded the par terre position for one point but he failed to score and led 3-2 at the break.

If Margaryan hoped for a better second period, Khalmakhanov had no such idea. He slammed Margaryan from standing using the underhook for four points. He continued the sequence and lifted Margaryan and slammed him forward for four more points.

The two big throws for Khalmakhanov were enough for him for the win despite a challenge from Armenia. The lost challenged made his score 12-2.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2

BRONZE: Mohammad ABOUTALEBI (IRI) df. Kristiyan MILENKOV (BUL), 9-0
BRONZE: Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) df. Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ), 5-1

77kg
GOLD: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) df. Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI), 10-1

BRONZE: Zaur BESLEKOEV (UWW) df. Raatbek PAIAZBEKOV (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Kiryl VALEUSKI (UWW) df. Leister BOWLING (USA), 9-0

87kg
GOLD: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) df. Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW), via fall

BRONZE: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN ( ARM) df. Elias LYYSKI (FIN), 1-1
BRONZE: Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) df. Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE), 4-4

130kg
GOLD: Ali ILIASOV (UWW) df. Yusuf BAKIR (TUR), 9-0

BRONZE: Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) df. Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW), 5-1