freestyle rankings

Tokyo 2020 Qualifiers Bajrang, Kaisanov, Micic Improve Freestyle Rank in January

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - 08:11 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 28) -- Bajrang PUNIA (IND), Stevan MICIC (SRB), and Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) moved one step closer to sealing up seeds for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo after the trio medaled at this month’s Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series tournament in Rome. 

Ranking Series points are important to Olympic-qualified wrestlers because the top four competitors in each Olympic weight category (from qualified nations) will earn a seed in their bracket, thereby delaying matchups with other top wrestlers until the semifinals and finals. The top three point-earners in each style are also awarded prize money at the end of the season.

Indian superstar Bajrang had the most successful outing in Rome -- earning gold and taking home 16 points -- while Kaisanov and Micic each earned 12 points for taking bronze. In the 65kg finals, Bajrang upended Jordan OLIVER (USA) 4-3 to catapult himself from No. 4 to No. 2 in the rankings. He now trails  No. 1 Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) by 19 points and sits ahead of No. 3 Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) by one point. All three are expected to compete in their respective continental championships this February and can earn up to an additional 22 points.  Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) jumped to No. 5 at 65kg where he now trails No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) by a single point.


Stevan MICIC (SRB) moved up to No. 3 after getting a bronze at Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series tournament (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Micic, a surprise place-winner at the 2019 World Championships at 57kg, took bronze at the Ranking Series tournament and pushed himself into a No. 3 ranking, dropping Kumar RAVI (IND) to No. 4 and Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) to No. 5. 
 
Kaisanov jumped to No. 3 with his  bronze-medal finish at 74kg. Kaisanov’s medal dropped Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) and Jordan BURROUGH (USA) to No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. 


Two-time defending 79kg world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) debuted at No. 9 in the 74kg rankings after defeating Soener DEMIRTAS (TUR) 10-0 to win gold and collect 16 points. The United States has qualified the weight for the Olympic Games with Burroughs’ bronze medal finish at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
  
Two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) held onto his No. 3 ranking at 97kg. The American wrestler took bronze worth 15 Ranking Series points and now trails No. 2 Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) by one point. Iran’s Mohammad MOHAMMADIAN, who upset Snyder in the quarterfinals, took gold at 97kg and earned 18 points to enter the rankings at No. 8. 

Iran did not earn an Olympic license at 97kg during the world championships and will seek to qualify during the Asian Qualification tournament in March. 
 
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) finished in second at 97kg and debuted at No. 10 with 16 points.
 
James DOWNEY (USA) took bronze at 86kg, nabbing 12 points and climbing six spots to No. 3. The American, who has yet to qualify his weight category for Tokyo 2020, leads Artur NAIFONOV (25 points) by one point and trails Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (60 points) and India’s Deepak PUNIA (40 points). 

Amir ZARE (IRI) gets his hand raised after winning gold at the Matteo Pellicone (Photo/Kadir Caliskan)

At 125kg, Amir ZARE (IRI) was the lone change in the top-ten of the rankings. The Iranian youngster defeated Bilial MAKHOV (RUS) for the gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone and entered this month’s rankings at No. 9 with his 16 points.

The next Ranking Series tournaments will be the continental championships held in February and early March. Gold medal winners are eligible for 12 points plus a bonus based on the number of entries in their weight category. Please go to UnitedWorldWrestling.org for the updated competition calendar and guidelines for accumulating points during the Ranking Series. 
 
Top-Ten Freestyle Rankings

57kg
1. Zavur UGUEV (RUS) - 60
2. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) -  40
3. Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB) - 32
4. Kumar RAVI (IND) -  25
5. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)- 25
6. Reza ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI) - 20
7. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL) - 18
8. Givi DAVIDOVI (ITA) - 16
9. Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA) - 16
10. Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL) - 14

61kg
1. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) - 60
2. Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) - 40
3. Rahul AWARE (IND) - 25
4. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) - 25
5. Tyler Lee GRAFF  (USA) - 20
6. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) - 20
7. Rassul KALIYEV (KAZ) - 18
8. Kerim HOJAKOV (TKM) - 16
9. Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) -14
10. Kumar RAVI (IND) - 14

65kg 
1. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) - 60
2. Bajrang PUNIA (IND) - 41
3. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) - 40
4. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV  (HUN) - 25
5. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) - 24
6. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) - 20
7.  Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) - 20
8.  Haji ALI (BRN)  - 18
9.  Alexander SEMISOROW (GER) - 16
10. Jong Chol SON (PRK) - 14

70kg 
1. David BAEV (RUS) - 60
2. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) - 40
3. Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) - 25
4. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) - 25
5. Nicolae COJOCARU (GBR) - 20
6. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) - 20
7. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) - 18
8.  Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) - 16
9. Ali Pasha Ruslanovich UMARPASHAEV (BUL) - 14
10. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (KGZ) - 12

74kg 
1. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) -  60
2. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) -  40
3. Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) - 32
4. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) - 25
5.  Jordan BURROUGHS  (USA) - 25
6. Mao OKUI (JPN) - 20
7. Kamil RYBICKI (POL) -  18
8. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) - 16
9. Kyle DAKE (USA) - 16
10. Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) - 14

79kg
1. Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) - 60
2. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) - 40
3. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) - 25
4. Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS ) - 25
5. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) - 20
6. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ) - 20
7. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) - 18
8. Jitender JITENDER (IND) - 16
9. Gombodorj DORJVANCHIG (MGL) - 14
10. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) - 14

86kg
1. Hassan YAZDANICHARATI  (IRI) - 60
2. Deepak PUNIA (IND) - 40
3. James DOWNEY III  (USA) -  26
4. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) - 25
5.  Stefan REICHMUTH ( SUI) - 25
6. Myles Nazem AMINE  (SMR) - 20
7. Carlos IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) - 20
8. Ahmed DUDAROV (GER) - 18
9. Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP) - 16
10. Zahid VALENCIA (USA) - 16

92kg
1. J'Den COX (USA) - 58
2. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI  (IRI) - 38
3. Irakli MTSITURI  (GEO) - 23
4. Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) -  23
5. Georgii RUBAEV (MDA) - 18
6. Nurgali NURGAIPULY  (KAZ) - 18
7. Parveen PARVEEN (IND) - 16
8. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) - 14
9. Liubomyr SAGALIUK (UKR) - 12
10. Takuma OTSU (JPN) - 10

97kg
1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) - 60
2. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) - 40
3. Kyle SNYDER (USA) - 39
4. Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) - 25
5. Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) - 20
6. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) - 20
7. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) - 18
8. Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) - 18
9. Nicolai CEBAN (MDA) - 16
10. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) - 16


125kg
1. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) - 60
2. Taha AKGUL (TUR) - 40
3. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) - 25
4. Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB) - 25
5. Badzha KHUTABA (SYR) - 20
6. Zhiwei DENG (CHN) - 20
7. Egzon SHALA (KOS) - 18
8. Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) - 16
9. Amir ZARE (IRI) - 16
10. Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) - 14

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026, Day 5 Freestyle Highlights

Friday, April 24, 2026 - 08:35 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- European Championships 2026 will enter day five with five Freestyle weight classes -- 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg. Friday will also mark the return of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) to European Championships after six years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN

UWW Plus

13:15: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB), the returning silver medalist at 57kg, is clueless against Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) who beats the Serbian 5-0. Tuskaev got on a few attacks but could never finish them while Mekhtikhanov used a strong grip to either finish a takedown or a stepout. 

13:00: U20 world champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) will face Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the semifinals at 70kg after he made it to the last four with a 12-2 win over Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)

12:50:  Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) is not giving any space to anyone on the mat. In his quarterfinals, Sadulaev blanks Radu LEFTER (MDA), 10-0 and is now in the semifinals.

12:45: Iszmail MUSZUKAEV (HUN) with all the moves you can imagine as he wins with a 10-0 technical superiority against Remzi TEMUR (TUR) and advances to the semifinals at 70kg.

12:36: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) takes out Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) in a low scoring bout at 65kg. Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but Tevanyan got a point for lost challenge to make it 2-1. He was anyway leading 1-1 on criteria. Mamedov is disheartened as Tevanyan helps him to

his feet

12:25: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) puts hosts Albania in the semifinals at 65kg! He beats Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 3-1, and will now take on Islam GUSEINOV (UWW) who blanked Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN), 4-0.

12:15: Match of the morning as Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) and Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) leave it all on the mat in their 79kg bout. Kadzimahamedau lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a scored a double-leg four pointer to make it 5-4. Kadzimahamedau challenged and was awarded two points to go with a reversal for Gaphrindashvili, making the score 7-5 for Kadzhimahamedau. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left. Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win 11-10.

11:50: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) went on a defensive in the second period against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in their 97kg bout. After taking a 3-0 lead, Matcharashvili did not try much in the second period. He was put on the activity clock, gave up the point and then cautioned for fleeing for one more point but he held his 3-2 lead for the victory.  

11:40: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) seems fast on the mat! He works to an easy 10-0 victory over Benjamin GREIL (AUT) at 97kg. Sadulaev is hoping to win his sixth European title and first in six years.

11:32: Returning silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) needs a takedown in the last 30 seconds to break the 8-8 criteria lead of Okan TAHTACI (TUR) and lead 10-8. He then survives a flurry of attacks from Tahtaci in the final 18 seconds to win at 79kg

11:20: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) blanks Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 5-0, at 79kg as he begins his quest for a European title. Usmanov, who missed out on a world medal in Zagreb, seemed in better control of his bout here.

11:10: Former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), hoping to navigate through a tough 65kg field in Tirana, starts well beating Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 5-2, in the opening round bout. 

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), down at 79kg after last year's silver-medal run at 86kg, begins with a 4-1 victory over Rasul SHAPIEV (MKD).

10:50: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) makes his European Championships debut with a win. He scores a takedown Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) before falling behind 3-2. But that was all Honcharov was scoring as Mamedov worked on five different takedowns and win 12-3 at 65kg.

10:30: It's not just Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) on the mat on Friday in Tirana, but also Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL), David BAEV (UWW), Akhmed USMANOV (UWW), Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)