BuchaWrestU23

Reigning U23 World Champion Cengiz and Cataraga Reach Semifinals

Monday, November 12, 2018 - 13:39 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (November 12) – The opening day semifinals at the 2018 U23 World Championships are set and four different nations will have a pair of wrestlers competing for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. The four nations that have two wrestlers taking the mat tonight are Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Turkey. 

Georgia is led by the five-time age level world champion, Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO). Pataridze, who is coming off a thirteenth-place finish at the senior-level world championships is looking to improve on his runner-up finish at last year’s U23 World Championships where he was defeated in the finals by 2018 world champion, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS). 

In the 130kg semifinals, Pataridze will wrestle Finland’s Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), who is looking to become his nations second U23 world finalist ever. 

Georgia’s second semifinalist is 2018 world bronze medalist, Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO). He'll take on Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) for a spot in the 55kg finals.

Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) celebrates after making the U23 World semifinals.  (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Moldova’s pair of finalists are Alexandru BICIU (MDA) and Daniel CATARAGA (MDA). 

In a rematch of the U23 European Championship finals, Biciu will try to avenge that loss to Mihai MIHUT (ROU) with a spot in the 63kg finals on the line, while reigning U23 world champion Daniel Cataraga will see Sajan SAJAN (IND) in the 77kg semifinals.

Russian National champion, Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS), and U23 European bronze medalist, Gazi KHALILOV (RUS), will wrestle in the 55kg and 87kg semifinals respectively. 

At 55kg, Kabaloev will wrestle 2015 junior world bronze medalist Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ), and Khalilov will scrap against Cuba’s 2018 senior-level world team member, Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB), in the semifinals at 87kg. 

Meanwhile, Turkey’s reigning U23 world champion Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) and two-time U23 European finalist Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) will also wrestle for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. 

In the 87kg semifinals, Cengiz will have to get past Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), while Yildirim will be pitted against Egypt's Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) in the 130kg semifinals.

The semifinals are set to begin at 18:00 PM local time at Bucharest’s Polyvalent Hall.

Semifinal Match-ups 
55kg
Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) vs. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) 
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) vs. Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS)

63kg
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) vs. Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) 
Alexandru BICIU (MDA) vs. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU)

77kg
Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN) vs. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) 
Sajan SAJAN (IND) vs. Daniel CATARAGA (MDA)

87kg
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) vs. Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 
Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) vs. Gazi KHALILOV (RUS)

130kg
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) vs. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN) 
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) vs. Abdellatif Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)

#AmateurMMA

U20 Amateur MMA: New Zealand, Tajikistan crown world champs

Thursday, November 13, 2025 - 06:09 By Vinay Siwach

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LOUTRAKI, Greece (November 11) -- Gold medals for Tajikistan and New Zealand highlighted the first U20 World Amateur MMA Championships in Loutraki, Greece.

Tajikistan won two golds medals, both in men's division, while New Zealand won a gold medal through Lily HOUBEN (NZL) in women's division in the five-day event.

Houben, who is quickly making a name for herself in the New Zealand combat sports circles, used a classic armbar to submit Dinara TIUTIUNOVA (UWW) in the only bout, which was the final, at 90kg.

Apart from 90kg, three more weight classes were in action in women's -- 50kg, 61kg and 65kg. Alina NAIDINA (UWW) defeated Kseniia SHIPILKINA (UWW) to win the gold medal at 50kg.

Ukraine won golds at 61kg and 66kg through Yana MELNYCHUK (UKR) and Yuliia MELNYCHUK (UKR), the sisters helping it win the time title as well with 50 points. New Zealand finished second with 25 points.

Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK)Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK) won gold medal in the 62kg weight category. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

In men's, nine weight classes were in action with champions from Tajikistan, Moldova, France, Ukraine and UWW fighters.

Ukraine, once again the best team, won two gold medals, both at the expense of Kazakhstan. The first came at 77kg when Kyryl KYSELOV (UKR) defeated Kydyrali KAIRGALI (KAZ) in the final and the second came at 100kg as Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR) beat Radomir MOROZOV (KAZ) in the final.

Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK) gave Tajikistan its first gold medal when he defeated Maksim BUSYGIN (UWW) in the 62kg final. Soon after, : Mukhammadamin SHAMOLOV (TJK) added a second gold medal for the country when he beat Nikita LIKHTIN (UWW) in the 66kg final.

For Moldova, Ion SILI (MDA) showed his dominance in the 93kg final as he defeated Alikhan EVLOEV (UWW) to win the gold medal.

At 130kg, former U17 world silver medalist in Freestyle 125kg and U20 European bronze Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) used his wrestling skills to win both bouts in the Nelson bracket to win the gold medal. Lagvilava recently finish fifth at the U20 World Championships.

Alibeg ALIBEKOV (UWW) won gold medal at 57kg, Ian GURBANOV (UWW) at 71kg, and Viktor SHEENKO (UWW) at 84kg.

RESULTS

U20 Men's Amateur MMA

57kg
GOLD: Alibeg ALIBEKOV (UWW)
SILVER: Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR)
BRONZE: Arturo COLMENAREJO GARCIA (ESP)
BRONZE: Kyllian DURANDET (FRA)

62kg
GOLD: Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK)
SILVER: Maksim BUSYGIN (UWW)
BRONZE: Amir ALKANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Mikhail KLIMENKO (UWW)

66kg
GOLD: Mukhammadamin SHAMOLOV (TJK)
SILVER: Nikita LIKHTIN (UWW)
BRONZE: Mansur ABDRAKHMAN (KAZ)
BRONZE: Oleh CHERNIK (UKR)

71kg
GOLD: Ian GURBANOV (UWW)
SILVER: Bilel BOULAMA (FRA)
BRONZE: Bohdan BECHKO (UKR)
BRONZE: Isa KHARSIEV (UWW)

77kg
GOLD: Kyryl KYSELOV (UKR)
SILVER: Kydyrali KAIRGALI (KAZ)
BRONZE: Ali SHARIFOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Aliskhan DUDURGOV (UWW)

84kg
GOLD: Viktor SHEENKO (UWW)
SILVER: Andrii BOIAR (UKR)
BRONZE: Vadym ZHUKOV (UKR)
BRONZE: Athanasios MADEMLIS (GRE)

93kg
GOLD: Ion SILI (MDA)
SILVER: Alikhan EVLOEV (UWW)
BRONZE: Yehor RAILIANU (UKR)
BRONZE: Yerkebulan ASSANOV (KAZ)

100kg
GOLD: Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR)
SILVER: Radomir MOROZOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Anton MAZAEV (UWW)
BRONZE: Cinar PAMUK (TUR)

130kg
GOLD: Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA)
SILVER: Mateusz ZIENKIEWICZ (POL)
BRONZE: Yerassyl SARTBAY (KAZ)

U20 Women's Amateur MMA

50kg
GOLD: Alina NAIDINA (UWW)
SILVER: Kseniia SHIPILKINA (UWW)

61kg
GOLD: Yana MELNYCHUK (UKR)
SILVER: Diana PARFENOVA (UWW)
BRONZE: Alessia AMENDOLA (ITA)
BRONZE: Tetiana LAPTIEVA (UKR)

65kg
GOLD: Yuliia MELNYCHUK (UKR)
SILVER: Renata AZNABAEVA (UWW)

90kg
GOLD: Lily HOUBEN (NZL)
SILVER: Dinara TIUTIUNOVA (UWW)