#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 7 - GR 60kg, 97kg and 130kg

Friday, October 8, 2021 - 07:33 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 8) -- Greco-Roman continues into second day with three more weight classes in action. 60kg, 97kg and 130kg wrestlers will try to reach the semifinal on day seven of the senior World Championships at the Jordan Amfi arena. Two Tokyo Olympic medalists and two former world champions will be in action. If you missed day six, here's a wrap -- Japan wins WW team title

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1340: Results of quarterfinal of the GR 97kg weight class

Alex SZOKE (HUN) df Peter OEHLER (GER), 4-1
Tracy HANCOCK (USA) df Kiril MILOV (BUL), 6-0
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU), 4-0
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 9-1

1330: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 60kg weight class
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), 5-1
Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df Stepan MARYANYAN (RWF), 7-6
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI), 7-0
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), via fall

1320: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 130kg weight class
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 1-1
Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 2-1
Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RWF) df Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-1
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 5-1

1300: We will begin our quarterfinals shortly. All four bouts will take place simultaneously on the four mats. We will begin with 130kg

1235: Saravi with a slip to back and gets the takedown. He will roll as well. 4-3 for Saravi. Sargsian with a reversal but Saravi holds criteria 4-4. A minute passes. Saravi has another takedown. He takes a clear 6-4 lead now

1230: Saravi is called passive in the first period and will go in par terre. Sargsian, known for his big throws with his loud scream, lifts Saravi and launches. Two for Sargsian. He leads 3-0 at the break

1225: Both Sharshenbekov and Hancock win their respective bouts and the focus now shifts to the biggest match of the morning. Tokyo bronze medalist Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) is wrestling RWF's young star Artur SARGSIAN (RWF) at 97kg

1210: Tokyo Olympian Victor CIOBANU (MDA) wins 11-4 over Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR) and is moving on to the next round. Continuing on mat B, world silver medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) up against Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR). On Mat C, Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) is wrestling Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)

1200: World champion Stephan MARYANYAN (RWF) has an great first round win over Ahmet UYAR (TUR). RWF has been great this morning.

1150: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) delights the crowd here! At 77kg repechage, he wins 10-1 with a five point throw Ranet KALJOLA (EST). Simultaneously, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) also advances to the bronze medal bout at 77kg

1140: Norway has their first win! Oskar MARVIK (NOR) defeats Radoslav GEORGIEV (BUL) 5-0 to win the first bout Norway. The crowd got behind him there

1130: Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) had a tough challenge from former cadet world champion Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) but he hangs on for a 5-2 win. Schultz has a big chance of making it back to the repechage

1125: Tokyo Olympian Kiril MILOV (BUL) silenced the home fans after he beats Marcus WORREN (NOR) with ease at 97kg. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger here

1115: Asian silver medalist Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) begins his campaign at the World Championships with a win. He beats Helary MAEGISALU (EST) 11-2. On Mat A, Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU) had World bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) in trouble for the pin but could not finish it. But he managed to win 5-3 with that move.

1100: Two-time junior world champion Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) with a big win over Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN). That will take him to the pre-quarterfinals at 60kg after that 3-0 win

Two styles of wrestling are done and now Greco-Roman enters day two with a lot of support from the fans. Fans from Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, Russia and even Kyrgyzstan are here. 

2026 Muhamet Malo

Muhamet Malo Flashback: Relive 2025 Ranking Series Stop in Tirana

Friday, February 13, 2026 - 09:04 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 13) -- There is a good chance that the gold medalist at the Muhamet Malo 2026 Ranking Series event will have a good season. It happened in 2025. Most of the gold medalists from 2025 managed to win respective continental or world medals.With the second Ranking Series of 2026 once again in Tirana, here's a flashback to the one in 2025. Follow the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series on uww.org, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube.

MUHAMET MALO 2026 RANKING SERIES ENTRIES

WATCH ALL FINALS FROM 2025 MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES HERE

Freestyle

Iran brought a solid team to Tirana last year with Olympic silver medalists Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI). It won four gold medals with both Amouzad and Zare winning at 65kg and 125kg, respectively. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) won at 92kg with rather ease and at 57kg, Ali MOMENI (IRI) got a fall in the final.

Kaeisi TANABE (JPN) was also in the field at 65kg. However, he went on to lose his semifinal against Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and then the bronze medal bout to Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ).

But the most memorable win was that of Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), who announced himself as a big contender at 97kg, first time in Tirana. Wrestling world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the semifinals, Yoshida stunned the crowd in Tirana with a thrilling 5-5 victory over the American wrestler.

Snyder led 4-1 at the break and then added another point in the second period. But Yoshida hit a cut back and then a turn to take a 5-5 criteria lead which he held on to until time expired in the match. The winning firmly put Yoshida as one of the top 97kg wrestlers in the world.

Two other Japanese stars also won gold medals last year. Takara SUDA (JPN) was the best at 61kg displaying some tricky wrestling as he won gold while Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) kept it simple to win the gold medal at 70kg.

It was also the return of Chermen VALIEV (ALB) since he won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He did not disappoint the home fans, capturing the 74kg gold medal in an actionless 2-0 win over Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

Greco-Roman

An Olympic final rematch occurred inn Tirana in Greco-Roman. At 87kg, Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and Alireza MOHMEDI (IRI) clashed in the quarterfinals. Mohmedi had lost to Novikov in the Paris 2024 final but he turned it around in Tirana, blanking Novikov 5-0. The heated match included some words exchanged between the two at the end of the bout.

Mohmedi won't stop there. He defeated Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), 5-1, in the semifinal and later went on to win the gold medal once David LOSONCZI (HUN) injury defaulted in the final.

Both Komarov and Mohmedi would later meet in the final of the World Championships in Zagreb. This time, Komarov avenged that loss from Tirana and won the gold medal while Mohmedi was heartbroken with the loss.

Tirana was also the start of a resurgence of Kerem KAMAL (TUR). After some frustrating years at 60kg, Kamal began the new season at 63kg and won gold. It set the tone for 2025 as he went on to win two more Ranking Series gold medals and became the European champion at 63kg.

Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) made his senior debut at 55kg in Tirana. He won his first two bouts before falling in the final against Emre MUTLU (TUR). Lolua had won silver medal at the U17 World Championships before 2025 but he would later win silver at the U20 Worlds and then become world champion at 55kg in one of the exciting matches in 2025 against U20 world champion Payam AHMADI (IRI).

At 130kg, world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) remained a rock and won gold without giving up any action points in his four bouts.

Women's Wrestling

As is the theme in Women's Wrestling, Japan won the most gold medals in Tirana as well. Out of the 10 golds, Japan won six medals.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) was making her international debut at 53kg after winning gold at World Championships at 55kg. She began well but had a scare in the semifinals against Lillia MALANCHUK (UKR). She even trailed in the semifinals before winning 15-8. She later defeated Andreea ANA (ROU) in the final, 6-0, to capture the gold medal.

At 55kg, Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) was solid throughout, winning the gold medal with ease. Umi ITO (JPN) had a similar outing as she swept the field to claim the 50kg gold medal.

Sakura ONISHI (JPN) gave a glimpse of her 2025 in Tirana. The teenager won gold medal in Tirana at 59kg and she continued her form winning U20 world gold and then the senior world title in September.

Another Tirana gold medalist who became world champion in Zagreb was Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg. A world champion at 72kg in 2024, Ishii moved down to 68kg and was instantly successful. She defeated Zelu LI (CHN), 8-2, in the final. She won the world title in Zagreb, winning five bouts and giving up only three points.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) was another gold medalist for Japan. She defeated Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) in the semifinals and faced Irina RINGACI (MDA) for the gold medal. Ringaci had earlier defeated her, 7-5, in the round robin bout. Morikawa fell behind 6-3 in the final as well but Ringaci pulled out injured midway through the final, giving Morikawa the gold medal.

The two also met at the World Championships but Morikawa would stamp her authority in Zagreb with a 10-0 win over Ringaci. She won the gold medal by beating Alina KASABEIVA (UWW), 8-0.

At 72kg, Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) won the Nelson bracket that also included a 3-1 win over Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who later went on to win the gold medal at the World Championships.

Veteran Samantha STEWART (CAN) made the tournament memorable for herself winning the gold medal with three wins, including two via falls.