Military C'Ships

Ramonov Wins Gold, Russia Takes Seven Titles at Military C’ships

Monday, May 21, 2018 - 12:30 By Ali Feizasa

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Olympic and world champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) captured 70kg title at 2018 Freestyle World Military championships as Russia team earned seven gold medals to win team title. While, two gold medals went to Iran and Mongolia took one.

The host team Russia failed to earn gold in light weights as Mehran REZAZADEH (IRI) took 57k gold medal and KHASHERDENE (MGL) succeed to beat Dmitrii AKSENOV (RUS) in the final match to win 61kg top spot.

But Russian started to sweep gold medals from 65kg. Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) defeated Hyeon Sik SONG (KOR) by FALL in 65kg finale and RAMONOV grabbed 70kg title.

RAMONOV (RUS) downed Alexander SEMISOROW (GER), 12-5 in the final match to repeat his last year’s title in World Military Championships.

Zaurbek SIDAKOV gave the host team third gold medal, defeating Iranian Hamed RASHIDI, 11-3 in 74kg final bout.

In 79kg, 2015 world champion Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) beat Bahman TEIMOURI (IRI) by Technical Fall, 12-2 to compensate recent deficit in European championships. TSABOLOV scored 10 points against two points of Iranian rival in first period and added two more points in second period to earn Technical Fall victory.

86kg gold medal went to Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) which downed Kanan ALIYEV (AZE), 6-4.

Iurii BELONOVSKII (RUS) bagged sixth gold for Russian, winning Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ), 8-3 to earn 92kg top spot.

Just a few days after achieving European gold medal, Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) doubled in a month defeating Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI), in 97kg final match.

BAITCAEV scored six points in first period and added two point more in second period to take gold by 8-2 victory against Iranian team member in Paris World Championships.

Yadollah MOHEBI, a 2017 Asian champion, stopped consecutive victories of Russian in the finals and took gold medal in heavy weight by defeating Nurzhan OMIRBEKOV (KAZ). MOHEBI who placed second in Iran team trials just a week ago, downed OMIRBEKOV by technical fall 10-0 victory.

MOHEBI was second gold medal winner of Iran in Freestyle Military World Championships

2018 FR World Military World Championships team standings:

1- Russia 225 pts (7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
2- Iran 163 pts (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
3- Kazakhstan 117 pts (2 silver, 5 bronze)
4- Azerbaijan 109 pts (1 silver, 3 bronze)
5- Mongolia (1 gold, 1 bronze)

Results:

57kg

GOLD- Mehran REZAZADEH (IRI) df. Un Gwang PAK (PRK), 4-3
BRONZE- Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS) df. Afqan KHASHALOV (AZE), 2-1
BRONZE- Sung Gwon KIM (KOR) df. Horst LEHR (GER), 5-0

61kg

GOLD- B. KHASHERDENE (MGL) df. Dmitrii AKSENOV (RUS), 9-4
BRONZE- Mohammad NAMJOOMOTLAGH (IRI) df. Adrian VOCK (SUI), 11-2
BRONZE- Yeldos ABIKENOV (KAZ) df. Zhenguang TIAN (CHN), by FALL

65kg

GOLD- Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) df. Hyeon Sik SONG (KOR), by FALL
BRONZE- Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA) df. MUHAMMAD (PAK) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Peiman BIABANI (IRI), by FALL

70kg

GOLD- Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) df. Alexander SEMISOROW (GER), 12-5
BRONZE- B. BVAMBADORJ (MGL) df. Mazen KADMANI (SYR) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Azamat SHGAPULY (KAZ) df. Yazdan SANAEI (IRI), 7-5

74kg

GOLD- Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Hamed RASHIDI (IRI), 11-3
BRONZE-Baibolsyn KURMANBEKOV (KAZ) df. Johann STEINFORTH (GER) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE- Joshqun AZIMOV (AZE) df. Botond LUKACS (HUN) by TF, 10-0

79kg

GOLD- Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) df. Bahman TEIMOURI (IRI) by TF, 12-2
BRONZE- Galymzhan USERBAYEV (KAZ) df. Orkhan ABASOV (AZE), 5-3
BRONZE- Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Mohamad FEPACASTA (SYR) by TF, 11-0

86kg

GOLD- Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Kanan ALIYEV (AZE), 6-4
BRONZE- Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI) df. Adil IRSHAD (PAK) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Nurdaulet KOKTEUBAEV (KAZ) df. CH. USUKHBAYAR (MGL), 7-3

92kg

GOLD- Iurii BELONOVSKII (RUS) df. Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ), 8-3
BRONZE- Gabor HATOS (HUN) df. Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE), 2-1
BRONZE- Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) df. Arashk MOHEBI (IRI), 9-2

97kg

GOLD- Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI), 8-2
BRONZE-Dzianis KHRAMTANKOU (BLR) df. Mohammed FARDJ (AKG) by TF, 12-2
BRONZE- Roman BAKIROV (AZE) df. Saasaa VICTOR JULIAN (COL) by TF, 10-0

125kg

GOLD- Yaduollah MOHEBI (IRI) df. Nurzhan OMIRBEKOV (KAZ) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Raja ALKARAD (SYR) df. Hamza HALOVI (ALG) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) df. Zhiwei DENG (CHN), 2-1

2026 World Championships

Yazdani Returns to World Championships After Beating Azarpira

Friday, June 19, 2026 - 11:56 By Vinay Siwach

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KEMRAN, Iran (July 19) -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) made his World Championships debut at 70kg in 2015. The Olympic champion will be at 97kg for his eighth World Championships, 11 years later.

Yazdani, a three-time world champion, booked his spot on Iran's team for the 2026 World Championships after beating world silver medalist Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in two straight matches in Kemran on Friday.

Azarpira needed to win only one bout to earn his spot as he was a returning world medalist but Yazdani secured two wins, 4-2 and 5-3, to end Azarpira's hopes. 

According to selection criteria set by Iran, a returning world medalist needed to win only one bout while the opponent needed two straight wins to claim the spot.

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), blue, shakes hands with Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) after beating him in the second bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the first bout, Yazdani scored three stepouts and a point for passivity while Azarpira managed a takedown to the lead but he could not find another takedown or two one-point scoring actions needed to win.

An hour later, the two wrestlers returned for their second bout. Azapira, needed just a win to secure his place, led 3-3 on criteria in the second period. After Yazdani led 3-0, Azarpira fired back a takedown and stepout to earn the criteria.

In the final minute, Azarpira pressured Yazdani towards the zone and just went it seemed that he has scored a stepout, Yazdani circled back and scored a takedown to take a 5-3 lead. A shocked Azarpira protested the decision but he had no challenge left as he had used and lost the challenge in the first period.

Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) tries to score on Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) during the 97kg bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Yazdani, with all his experience, managed to hold on to his two point lead and confirm that he will return to the World Championships three years later. The Iranian will be chasing his eighth medal as he already has medals from every edition he has participated in.

The 31-year-old began with a silver medal at 70kg in 2015, won gold at 86kg in 2017, 2019 and 2021, and won bronze in 2018. At the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, he finished silver medals, losing those finals to David TAYLOR (USA).

This, however, won't be Yazdani's debut at 97kg. He wrestled at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in February and reached the final before Stephen BUCHANAN (USA) defeated him, 13-3.

Yazdani's next challenge will be to win a medal at the October 24-November 1 World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. The 97kg weight class will most likely have returning world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA), Paris Olympic champion and world bronze medalist Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and world bronze medalist Arash YOSHIDA (JPN).

Former Olympic and world champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) will also be in the mix if he makes the Russian team. Olympic silver medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), former world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), will also be challenging for the three-time Olympic medalist Iranian.

Yazdani, Firouzpour Win

Two other weight classes, 74kg and 97kg, were also contested to confirm the Iran Freestyle team for the World Championships.

Former world silver medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) defeated Yones EMAMI (IRI) in two straight bouts to clinch the spot at 74kg, a weight class that Emami has ruled in Iran for quite a few years now.

In two high-scoring bouts, Yazdani won 10-6 and 11-7, mostly using his counters in the zone to book his spot.

At 92kg, world bronze medalist Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) defeated Mobin AZIMI (IRI), 2-1, in the second bout of the series to claim the spot. As he was the returning world medalist, Firouzpour needed only one win to qualify.

Azimi won the first bout 2-2 on criteria, scoring a late stepout after three points were awarded for passivity. However, there was no such comeback in the second bout as Firouzpour kept his lead.

On Tuesday, a wrestle-off was held in Greco-Roman in which Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) defeated world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), 5-1, at 130kg to secure his spot for the World Championships.

Iran's Freestyle Team for 2026 World Championships

57kg: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
61kg: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
65kg: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
70kg: Sina KHALILI (IRI)
74kg: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI)
79kg: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)
86kg: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
92kg: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
97kg: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
125kg: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)