#WrestleBelgrade

Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 6: FS 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg

Saturday, November 6, 2021 - 09:30 By United World Wrestling Press

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 6) -- The penultimate day of the U23 World Championships is here. The final five weigh classes of freestyle will be in action at the Belexpocentar. Later in the day, we will have the five freestyle finals.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

1540: Artur CHEBODAEV (RUS) never looked in trouble as he makes his way to the semifinals after a 7-0 win over Christopher CANNON (USA). He will face Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL) in the semins. Narmandakh defeated Arman ELOYAN (FRA) in the semifinal.

1500: At 92kg, junior world championAmirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) looks unstoppable. He beats Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ) 11-0. U23 European champion Erhan YAYLACI (TUR) also moves into semis with a 12-4 win over Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR).

1440: Sajjad GHOLAMI (IRI) with another win for Iran. The 86kg wrestler in now into the semifinal after beating Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM) 5-0 and on Mat A, Zagid KARIMOV has two cautions against him but he wins 7-3 against Sandeep Singh MANN (IND).

1415: Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) keeps the winning ways for Iran. He beats Praveen MALIK (IND) 12-2. On Mat B, Arsen HARATYUNYAN (ARM) moves on to the quarterfinals with a 6-0 win

1345: Valiev scored a stepout, added a takedown and in the same action he gets a roll to lead 5-0. Bayramov cuts it to 5-2 with a takedown and then tries to score to pushouts but Valiev is quick to not go out in standing and refs call it neutral. Bayramov fails to get the takedown. Valiev will move into the quarterfinals after the 8-3 win

1330: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Cherman VALIEV (RUS) are making their way for their 1/8 final on Mat C

1300: Junior world champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) looks good in Belgrade. He starts with a first-period 10-0 win over Kolyo DIMITROV (BUL) at 92kg

1240: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) starts with a controlled win over Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN). He was looking for the pin but the time ran out in the first period. He comes back to win 11-1

1230: Christopher CANNON bringing the fire on Mat A! He fends off attacks from Suraj KOKATE (IND) and then adds leg lace and a carry for four to win 10-0

1200: Cherman VALIEV (RUS), one of the favorites to win here, starts with an easy 11-0 win over  Tino RETTINGER (GER) and moves to the 1/8th against Bayramov

1140: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) is wrestling at his sixth international tournament this year. He takes his time but scores an easy 6-0 win over Vadym KURYLENKO (UKR)

1130: Do we have a new Geno PETRIASHVILI? Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) uses his express speed to win his opening bout Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR) 

1115: Canada's Hunter LEE gave up two points but Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO) cannot answer Lee's other attacks. The Canadian wins 13-2

1100: Emre CIFTCI (TUR) begins with a 10-0 hammering of Benjamin GREIL (AUT) to get going at 86kg. A couple of forfeits here at 86kg

1030: Welcome to yet another day of wrestling action at the U23 World Championships. Freestyle action continues as we have five more weight classes going on the mat. Big session coming up

#WrestleZagreb

Kayaalp Returns with Gold at Zagreb Open; Gomi stuns Ganiev

Monday, February 9, 2026 - 01:45 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 8) -- Wearing gold medals is nothing new for Riza KAYAALP (TUR), an Olympic, world and 12-time European champion with a career spanning more than 15 years.

But wearing the Zagreb Open gold on Sunday felt different for Kayaalp.

Returning to the mat after a hiatus of 18 months, Kayaalp wrestled at the Ranking Series event and claimed the 130kg gold medal. The 36-year-old looked sharp in Zagreb, repeatedly using the trademark gut-wrench to win his bouts. He showed no signs of fading in any bout and remained in complete control throughout.

Kayaalp opened with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Aden ATTAO (USA) and followed with another 9-0 victory against Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO). In the semifinals, he was content with winning 4-0 against Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), getting both passivity advantages.

 Facing Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) in the final, Kayaalp scored three turns from par terre to lead 7-0. Schultz was given par terre advantage in the second period but failed to score as Kayaalp secured a 7-1 victory.

"It has been a day full of pride and joy for me to return to this beautiful mat," Kayaalp said. "I returned to the place that has been a part of my life, and to wear the gold medal here again."

At the 2023 European Championships at the same Arena Zagreb, Kayaalp had won his record-tying 12th gold medal. Later that year, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a silver medal at the World Championships.

However, his career stalled in 2024 when he received a competition ban. Following a lengthy appeal process, Kayaalp cleared his name and returned to the sport, with the Zagreb Open being his first tournament.

"It was a stressful time. Things I never wanted happened to me," he said. "There is nothing worse in life than not being able to explain yourself. But we still have something to live for."

Kayaalp had planned to retire after the Paris Games. After missing the event, however, he returned with renewed motivation to win medals at the Olympics, World Championships and the European Championships.

"There is great fire, ambition and renewal within me," he said. "That old boredom in my mind is gone. I got angry, very angry. But now I hope to have good goals."

Riza KAYAALP (TUR)Riza KAYAALP (TUR) receives the gold medal from Taha AKGUL (TUR). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Taha AKGUL (TUR), a long-time teammate of Kayaalp but in Freestyle and now the President of the Turkish Wrestling Federation, called Kayaalp the magician.

"He came here with around twenty percent preparation," Akgul said about Kayaalp. "We have the European Championship ahead and we will prepare well. Hopefully, he will break Karelin's record by becoming European champion for the thirteenth time."

Kayaalp and Aleksandr KARELIN are tied at 12 European gold medals, and the former nearly broke the record in 2024. However, he got pinned by Sergey SEMENOV (UWW) in the final.

"He is the brother, the captain, the magician of the team," Akgul said. "We set out on this journey as two brothers. It was the same when I was an athlete. We won our gold medals together. Now, we want to represent Turkish wrestling in the same way."

Turkiye won the second gold medal of the day through Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) who denied Mihail BRADU (MDA), 5-0, in the final.

As soon as the second period began, Bradu tried hitting an arm-throw on Saricicek but the Turkiye wrestler countered and flung Bradu and got four points.

That was the only action in the second period as Saricicek claimed the gold medal. Saricicek survived a tough semifinal against Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) but managed to scrap past 4-3.

Alex SZOKE (HUN)Alex SZOKE (HUN) tries to score against Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Alex SZOKE (HUN) took a step closer to making the Hungarian team at 97kg for the European Championships after winning gold medal at the same weight here in Zagreb.

Facing former U20 world champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) in the final, Szoke managed to get both par terre position and also a turn to lead 4-0, which was also the winning score for him.

Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI) emerged as the latest entry in Iran for a weight class. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) had long been Iran's go-to at 55kg but then emerged Payam AHMADI (IRI) who won gold at U20 World Championships and silver at the senior level.

Now, Hosseinvand defeated Dad Marz in the semifinal in Zagreb and later went on to win the gold medal, defeating Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 2-0, in the final.

Hosseinvand got both par terre advantages in the match. While he did not score any points in the final, he defended his positions and did not give any either to claim the gold medal.

 

At 72kg, former U20 world champion Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) controlled his final against Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and won the gold medal, posting a 4-1 victory.

Alameldin was put in par terre in the first period which gave Broladze a point. As he was unable to score any points, Broladze led only 1-0 at the break.

Broladze gave up a point via stepout at the start of the second period which gave Alameldin a 1-1 criteria lead. Alameldin then got the par terre advantage, making the score 2-1.

In the final 30 seconds, Broladze tried some desperate moves but Alameldin bodylocked him and brought him down for two points which sealed the win for him.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Hajiali HOSSEINVAND (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 2-0

BRONZE: Omer RECEP (TUR) df. Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. LALIT (IND), 5-3

60kg
GOLD: Koto GOMI (JPN) df. Alisher GANIEV (UZB), 10-0

BRONZE: Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) df. Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), 1-1
BRONZE: Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) df. Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) df. Nika BROLADZE (GEO), 4-1

BRONZE: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) df. Abror ATABAEV (UZB), 3-3
BRONZE: Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) df. Alejandro SANCHO (USA), 11-0

82kg
GOLD: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) df. Mihail BRADU (MDA), 5-0

BRONZE: Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) df. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 10-1
BRONZE: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Jesse PORTER (USA), 7-2

97kg
GOLD: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 4-0

BRONZE: Hadi SEYDI AVENDI (IRI) df. Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ), 1-1
BRONZE: Giorgi MELIA (GEO) df. Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), 2-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), 7-1

BRONZE: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Artur SARKISJAN (CZE), 1-1
BRONZE: Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) df. Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO), 6-1