#WrestleBucharest

Sadulaev Slides into Monday Night's Semifinals

By Eric Olanowski

BUCHAREST, Romania (April 8) - The Russian Federation, led by three-time world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV compiled an 8-2 record in the opening round and inserted three of five wrestlers into Monday night’s semifinals.  

Sadualev, the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 97kg, easily picked up wins against his first two opponents, outscoring them, 15-2. “The Russian Tank” shutout Azerbaijan’s returning European bronze medalist Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) in the opening round, then drilled Germany’s 2017 U23 European bronze medalist Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER), 12-3, to reach the semifinals. 

In the semifinals, the three-time European champion will wrestle Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD). 

In the second 97kg semifinals match, Kaspiisk silver medalist Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) will lace up against Georgia’s 2018 world bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO). 

In addition to Abdularashid Sadualev, Russia’s Muslim SADULAEV and Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV also made the semifinals at 57kg and 79kg respectively. 

The reigning Ivan Yariguin champion, Muslim Sadulaev, scored a pair of close victories en route to his 57kg semifinals run. 

First, Sadulaev scored a 5-2 win over Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), then followed that up with a 4-2 victory over Spain’s Levan METREVELI VARTANOV. He’ll wrestle Romania’s Andrei DUKOV (ROU), who snuck past Italy’s Givi DAVIDOVI, 4-2, for a spot in Monday night’s semifinals.  

The second 57kg semifinal will feature the tournament favorite, reigning world bronze medalist Suleyman ATLI (TUR), and Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). 

At 79kg, Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov, the 2018 Budapest world bronze medalist, blew past Turkey’s Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU in his quarterfinals match and will square off against Ukraine’s Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI. 

The two weight classes that won’t feature a Russian semifinalist are 65kg and 70kg.

At 65kg, three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) reached the semifinal after scoring the 5-3 come-from-behind win against Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), who knocked off Olympic champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) the round prior. Aliyev will take on Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) for a spot in Tuesday night’s finals. 

The other 65kg semifinal is between Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) and Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR).

At 70kg, there were two world champions who were upset in the opening round. 

Azerbaijan’s Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) defeated defending world champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-3, in the quarterfinals, then reached the semifinals with a 12-2 win over Devid SAFARYAN (ARM). He’ll take on Great Britain's Nicolae COJOCARU in tonight’s semifinals. 

Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) was the second wrestler to knock off a world champion in the opening round at 70kg. Gadzhiev, in a rematch of the 2017 world finals, avenged his loss and got the best of Georgia’s Zurabi IAKOBIASHVILI, 7-0. 

He’ll wrestle Mustafa KAYA (TUR) tonight's semifinals which begin at 18:00 (local time). 

RESULTS
57kg
SEMIFINAL - Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL) vs. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) 
SEMIFINAL - Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Andrei DUKOV (ROU)

65kg
SEMIFINAL - Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) vs. Haji ALIYEV (AZE) 
SEMIFINAL - Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) vs. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

70kg
SEMIFINAL - Mustafa KAYA (TUR) vs. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) 
SEMIFINAL - Nicolae COJOCARU (GBR) vs. Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE)  

79kg
SEMIFINAL - Andrei KARPACH (BLR) vs. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) SEMIFINAL - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI (UKR)

97kg
SEMIFINAL - Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) vs. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) 
SEMIFINAL - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 4 Results and Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- The fourth day of the Ranking Series in Zagreb will see the remaining four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action along with two Greco-Roman weight classes 77kg and 87kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

14:55: GR 87kg semifinals - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) gets a 2-1 win over Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the semifinals at 87kg to take a step closer to be part of the Hungarian team for the European Championships. But to confirm that, he has to beat Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won the other semifinals after a desperate arm-throw for four to beat Matej MANDIC (CRO), 6-2.

14:40: GR 77kg semifinals - Ali OSKOU (IRI) with a beautiful throw from par terre to get a 5-0 lead before another turn makes it 7-0. He eventually beats Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 10-1, and advances to the 77kg final. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) will challenge the Iranian for the gold medal after the Hungarian defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 7-0, majorly using gut-wrenches.

14:25: 76kg semifinals - Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) with two stepouts and one point for activity clock to take a 3-0 lead against Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) before a lost challenge from Japan adds another point to her score and she wins 4-0. She will take on Tristan KELLY (USA) for the gold medal who scored a four-pointer with seven seconds remaining against PRIYA (IND) to claim a 4-4 criteria victory 

14:10: 72kg semifinals - Buse TOSUN (TUR) is into the final at 72kg after a close 2-2 criteria win over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN). She was down 2-1 but dragged the Japanese out of bounds to take the criteria and the win. For the gold medal, she will take on Diksha MALIK (IND) who posted a 4-2 win over Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW).

13:55: 57kg semifinals - MANISHA (IND) makes it to the final at 57kg with rather ease, beating Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-0. She will test herself against Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) in the gold medal bout after the Japanese defeated Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) via fall

13:45: 53kg semifinals - U20 world champion Everest LEYDECKER (USA) takes out world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) 2-2. She scored a takedown in the first period and then defended that score. However, Antim managed to score a stepout alongwith a point for fleeing from Leydecker. With the score 2-2, Leydecker kept the criteria for a bigger technique and won. She will take on Roksana ZASINA (POL) for the gold medal who defeated Annika WENDLE (GER), 8-4, in the other semifinals.

13:15: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets two rolls from par terre and then defends to beat Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) and move into the semifinals at 77kg.

12:50: Almost five years after they met in the 2021 U17 World Championships, Katie GOMEZ (USA) and ANTIM (IND) meet again on the mat in Zagreb. Antim gets the first takedown an also point for activity clock. Antim extends her lead to 5-0 with another takedown before the break. Constant pressure from Antim and gets two more takedowns to lead 9-0. Antim finishes with an exposure and wins 11-0, avenging that loss from Budapest against Gomez, who went on to win the gold there.

12:35: Everest LEYDECKER (USA), U20 world champion and competing at her first senior international tournament, begins with an 11-0 victory over Anjali KACHHAWA (IND) at 53kg.

12:20: Priya PRIYA (IND), who finished fifth at the World Championships, pins Enrica RINALDI (ITA) at 76kg and moves into the semifinals.

12:05: Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE) drops her 72kg bout against Buse TOSUN (TUR), 2-0. Both activity clock points and then Tosun is solid in defense to post the victory

11:50: In an all Hungarian battle perhaps for the European Championships selection, Robert FRITSCH (HUN) gets the better of Levente LEVAI (HUN), 4-1, at 77kg. A turn from par terre for Fritsch in that win.

11:45: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets the par terre and wastes no time in getting Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) two reverse bodylock throws and two and four points respectively. He then gets a takedown to win the bout via technical superiority at 77kg

11:40: After a longish battle and review, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) gets a 15-11 victory over Sydney PETZINGER (USA) at 53kg. 

11:25: Giullia PENALBER (BRA) with a dominant win on U23 world champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) at 57kg. Aliyeva never got going and Penalber led 14-4 before getting the fall

11:15: Asian champion at 62kg MASNISHA (IND) has moved down to 57kg. She faces Tindra DALMYR (SWE) in her opening bout and begins well to score a takedown. Dalmyr gets a four-pointer but Manisha controls the rest of the bout and wins 9-4

11:10: Amory ANDRICH (GER) gets a fall over Samantha STEWART (CAN) at 57kg. Stewart has been adjusting to the 57kg weight class but Andrich made short work of Stewart

10:45: Couple of quick results from Greco-Roman. First up is Levente Levai (HUN), European champion at 72kg and now at 77kg, with a 3-0 victory against Mohamed Khalil (EGY). And Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) holding on for a 3-2 victory against Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) at 77kg

10:30: Another day in the and we will see more wrestlers trying to adjust to the Olympic weight classes.