#WrestleBudapest

Must-watch storylines from Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 4) -- As the Budapest Ranking Series gets underway Thursday in the Hungary capital, a few intriguing storylines will be seen on the mats. Countries will be finalizing their Olympic line-ups, a few star wrestlers are returning to competition while others are competing for the ranking points.

Here are the top storylines that no wrestling fan should miss at the Budapest Ranking Series which will be live on uww.org using UWW+.

Iran's dilemma

A wrestle-off is set to be held by Iran in Budapest to decide on the Paris Olympic team. Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) won the spot by winning bronze at the World Championships. But Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) won the Asian Championships to lay his claim for the 67kg gold medal.

60kg will also see a wrestle-off as Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) is set to face Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) to decide who goes to the Paris Games.

Also, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) is wrestling!

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) will wrestle for the first time since winning gold medal at the Asian Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Sachiko Hotaka)

Yazdani returns

Undoubtedly Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) returning to competition is the big show in Budapest. Since winning the silver medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Yazdani has wrestled only once, winning the gold medal at the Asian Games. A shoulder injury kept him out for eight months but Yazdani will be wrestling at 86kg on Thursday.

Before the Ranking Series, there were talks in Iran about a potential clash of Yazdani against 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) who is looking to make the Paris Olympic team for Iran. But Iran decided to send Yazdani alone and will assess his performance before deciding on a trial between the two.

Ziqi FENG (CHN)Ziqi FENG (CHN) gave a scare to Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the Asian Championships final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

China's problem of plenty

China rarely sends a portion of its team to the Ranking Series. But it has sent only five wrestlers for Budapest, all in Women's Wrestling. Three wrestlers are entered at 50kg and two at 57kg, expected for a wrestle-off.

Yu ZHANG (CHN), Jiang ZHU (CHN) and Ziqi FENG (CHN) are fighting for the Paris Olympic spot at 50kg. Feng won the quota for China by winning the bronze medal at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Qi ZHANG (CHN) and Kexin HONG (CHN) will wrestle off for the spot at 57kg. Hong won the quota at the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek. But Zhang, a world champion at 59kg, won the Asian Championships, a run that also had a win over Risako KINJO (JPN) in the first round.

Jamalov's switch

Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) has been waiting for his Uzbekistan debut which will finally happen in Budapest. Jamalov will take the mat at 74kg and can also face Bekzhod ABURKHAMANOV (UZB), meaning that their match can also be a wrestle-off.  Jamalov has not wrestled at an international event since finishing fifth at the 2021 European Championships but has previously shown that he can win against any top wrestler on his day.

#WrestleZagreb

World Championships 2025 Women's Wrestling Entries, Seeds

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (August 16) -- The Women's Wrestling entry list for the World Championships sees 230 wrestlers participating in the September 13-21 event in Zagreb.

Women's Wrestling will be held on September 15, 16, 17 and 18. For full schedule of the World Championships, click here.

Out of the 24, 11 Paris Olympic medalists are competing in Zagreb with one gold medalist - Sakura MOTOKI (JPN).

FREESTYLE ENTRIES | GRECO-ROMAN ENTRIES

Zagreb

Note: The entries are subject to change. Please refer to UWW for latest entries

50kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
No. 2 -- Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
No. 3 -- Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
No. 4 -- Madison PARKS (CAN)
No. 5 -- Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
No. 6 -- Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
No. 7 -- Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)
No. 8 -- Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)

Unseeded
Cheima CHEBILA (ALG)
Kamila BARBOSA (BRA)
Yu ZHANG (CHN)
Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU)
Aintzane GORRIA GONI (ESP)
ANKUSH (IND)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Jinhee KIM (KOR)
Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)
Myonggyong WON (PRK)
Chahrazed AYACHI (TUN)
Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW)
Natallia VARAKINA (UWW)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Nohalis LOYO JIMENEZ (VEN)

53kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)
No. 2 -- Hyogyong CHOE (PRK)
No. 3 -- Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
No. 4 -- ANTIM (IND)
No. 5 -- Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW)
No. 6 -- Annika WENDLE (GER)
No. 7 -- Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
No. 8 -- Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)

Unseeded
Serena DI BENEDETTO (CAN)
Jin ZHANG (CHN)
Laura HERIN AVILA (CUB)
Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP)
Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Roksana ZASINA (POL)
Beatrice FERENT (ROU)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)
Felicity TAYLOR (USA)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (UWW)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

55kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
No. 2 -- Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)
No. 3 -- Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
No. 4 -- Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)
No. 5 -- Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
No. 6 -- Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)
No. 7 -- Amory ANDRICH (GER)
No. 8 -- Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA)

Unseeded
Oleksandra KOGUT (AUT)
Xuejing LIANG (CHN)
Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB)
Maria BAEZ (ESP)
NISHU (IND)
Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN)
Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ)
Hyerim LEE (KOR)
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA)
Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Andreea ANA (ROU)

57kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Helen MAROULIS (USA)
No. 2 -- Kexin HONG (CHN)
No. 3 -- Luisa VALVERDE (ECU)
No. 4 -- Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW)
No. 5 -- Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
No. 6 -- Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
No. 7 -- Youngjin KWON (KOR)
No. 8 -- Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)

Unseeded
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Jenna HEMIAE (FIN)
TAPSYA (IND)
Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN)
Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ)
Bertha ROJAS (MEX)
Magdalena GLODEK (POL)
Il Sim SON (PRK)
Nethmi PORUTHOTAGE (SRI)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Chahd JELJELI (TUN)
Emine CAKMAK (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)
Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW)

59kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Elena BRUGGER (GER)
No. 2 -- Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
No. 3 -- Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
No. 4 -- Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW)
No. 5 -- Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
No. 6 -- Bediha GUN (TUR)
No. 7 -- Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR)
No. 8 -- Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)

Unseeded
Victoria CHHEN (AUS)
Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE)
Hong LIANG (CHN)
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
SARIKA (IND)
Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (KAZ)
Zeltzin HERNANDEZ (MEX)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Pyol HONG (PRK)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
Nadzeya BULANAYA (UWW)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)

62kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
No. 2 -- Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
No. 3 -- Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
No. 4 -- Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)
No. 5 -- Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
No. 6 -- MANISHA (IND)
No. 7 -- Amina TANDELOVA (UWW)
No. 8 -- Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)

Unseeded
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
LILI (CHN)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Neevis RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Alicja NOWOSAD (POL)
Ok Ju KIM (PRK)
Amina CAPEZAN (ROU)
Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR)
Iryna BONDAR (UKR)
Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)
Veranika IVANOVA (UWW)
Astrid MONTERO (VEN)

65kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
No. 2 -- Macey KILTY (USA)
No. 3 -- Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
No. 4 -- Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR)
No. 5 -- Irina RINGACI (MDA)
No. 6 -- Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
No. 7 -- Grace BULLEN (NOR)
No. 8 -- Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)

Unseeded
Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN)
Virginia JIMENEZ (CHI)
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
Vaishnavi PATIL (IND)
Subeen JO (KOR)
Alexis GOMEZ (MEX)
Aylah MAYALI (PLE)
Natalia KUBATY (POL)
Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

68kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Buse TOSUN (TUR)
No. 2 -- Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
No. 3 -- Sol Gum PAK (PRK)
No. 4 -- Kennedy BLADES (USA)
No. 5 -- Noemi SZABADOS (HUN)
No. 6 -- Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU)
No. 7 -- Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
No. 8 -- Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)

Unseeded
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Aniseta ACOSTA (ASA)
Grabriela PEDRO (BRA)
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Jia LONG (CHN)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
RADHIKA (IND)
Laura GODINO (ITA)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Beibit SEIDUALY (KAZ)
Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)
Khanum VELIEVA (UWW)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
No. 2 -- Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
No. 3 -- Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
No. 4 -- Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
No. 5 -- Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
No. 6 -- Nesrin BAS (TUR)
No. 7 -- Kseniia BURAKOVA (UWW)
No. 8 -- Masako FURUICHI (JPN)

Unseeded
Zelu LI (CHN)
Rosie TABORA (COD)
Veronika VILK (CRO)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Jiseon LEE (KOR)
Auguste GENDVILAITE (LTU)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Alexandria GLAUDE (USA)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg

Seeded
No. 1 -- Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
No. 2 -- Milaimy MARIN (CUB)
No. 3 -- Genesis REASCO (ECU)
No. 4 -- Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
No. 5 -- Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)
No. 6 -- Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
No. 7 -- Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN)
No. 8 -- Kylie WELKER (USA)

Unseeded
Vanesa GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Brianna FRASER (CAN)
QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN)
PRIYA (IND)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Damola OJO (NGR)
Elmira YASIN (TUR)
Kristina SHUMOVA (UWW)
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)