Takhti Cup

Turkey Sends 6 to Finals of Greco-Roman Takhti Cup

Friday, January 26, 2018 - 01:27 By Ali Feizasa

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MAHSHAHR, Iran (January 25) - The finalists of the Takhti Cup International Greco-Roman Wrestling Tournament were determined in the southern port of Iran, Mahshahr.

Turkey had a brilliant performance on the opening day, sending six wrestlers to the finals, outperforming Iran and Kazakhstan, which sent four wrestlers to the finals.

The tournament is the first UWW ranking series event in Greco-Roman.

55kg final: Bachana PUTKARADZE (GEO) vs. Ekrem OEZTUREK (TUR)

20-year-old wrestler Ekrem OEZTUREK from Turkey stormed to final match, earning 27 points during his three matches. Oezturek will meet Bachana PUTKARADZE (GEO) in the finals. 

60kg final: Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) vs. Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)

Iranian Mehrdad MARDANI did a great job defeating 2017 world silver medal winner Meirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) 4-0 in the semifinals, while, three-time Asian junior medal winner Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) beat Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ).

Both finalists represented their countries at the 2017 World Championships in Paris. 

63kg final: Kudaibergen TURSYNOV (KAZ) vs. Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ) 

Former junior world champion Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ) proved himself in senior level competition, edging Iranian favorite Mohammad NOURBAKHSH 3-0 in the semifinals. He will meet Kudaibergen TURSYNOV (KAZ) in the finals. 

67kg final: Fevzi MAMUTOV (UKR) vs. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)

The big surprise in this weight class came when Olympic and world champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) lost by fall to Ukranian Fevzi MAMUTOV in the quarterfinals. Borrero, who has moved up from 59kg to 67kg, was ahead in the match against Mamutov but lost the match in a moment. 

Mamutov also downed returning Takhti Cup champ Mohammad ELYASI (IRI) by technical fall 12-2. Elyasi placed fifth at the 2017 World Championships. 

Three-time world medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) is another finalist at 67kg. Kebispayev beat Turkish junior and U-23 team member Murat FIRAT 4-2. Kebispayev also had a tough match in the first round, beating 2017 world bronze medal winner Atakan YUEKSEL (TUR) 3-1.

72kg final: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) vs. Murat DAG (TUR)

U-23 world bronze medalist Murat DAG (TUR) had a technical fall victory over Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), 8-0 in the semifinals. He will meet Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) in the finale.

Zhadrayev, a 2017 world silver medal winner, had a brilliant performance as he beat Goga GOGIBERASHVILI (GEO) by technical fall 14-6 and had a victory by fall against Iranian Farshad BELFEKE (RI) in the quarterfinals.

Dag also did a great job in the first round, beating former world bronze medal winner Afshin BYABANGAR (IRI), 7-3.

77kg final: Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) vs. Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR)

World bronze medal winner Mohammadali GERAEI moved up from 71kg to 77kg and was successful in his new weight class. He downed Borouman ASLAN (IRI) 4-3 in the semifinals.
Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) was another finalist at 77kg as he defeated Iranian Pejman PASHTAN in a narrow semifinal match. Akkoyun also won the match against 2017 U-23 world champion Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) in the first round.

82kg final: Emrah KUS (TUR) vs. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL)

Daniel ALEKSANDROV was the only finalist for Bulgaria at the Takhti Cup, defeating Iranian Keyvan REZAEI in the semifinals 3-1. Aleksandorv, who placed fifth in Paris, defeated U-23 world champion Burhan AKBUDAK 4-0 in the quarterfinals.

2013 world bronze medal winner Emrah KUS (TUR) edged Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR), 2-1 in another semifinal match. 

The big surprise Iranian world bronze medalist Yousef GHADERIAN losing to Rezaei 6-3.

87kg final: Saman AZIZI (IRI) vs. Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ)

Saman AZIZI (IRI) and Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ) defeated KATSANASHVILI (GEO) and SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) respectively to advance to the finals at 87kg.

2017 world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR) didn’t continue in the tournament after his first win against Arman ALIZADEH (IRI).

97kg final: Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) vs. Cenk ILDEM (TUR)

The gold medal at 97kg will go to Turkey or Azerbaijan. Olympic bronze medal winner Jenk ILDEM (TUR) downed Dorin PIRVAN (ROM) 3-0 in the semifinals. Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) beat Mohammad YEGANEH (IRI) 3-2.

 It is not the first battle of Ildem and Huriyev. These wrestlers competed against each other in a match at the 2015 European Games, which Ildem won.

130kg final: Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) vs. Osman YILDIRIM (TUR)

Two-time Asian champion Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) had a narrow win over 2017 Iran team member Shahab GHOUREHJILI (IRI). He will meet Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) in the finals.  Yildirim had a 4-1 victory over Alin ALEXUC (ROM) the semifinals. 

The repechage and finals of the Takhti Cup will be held on Friday from 10 a.m. local time.

Semifinal Results

55kg
Bachana PUTKARADZE (GEO) df. Ibrahim NURULLAYEV (AZE), 3 – 1
Ekrem OEZTURK (TUR) df. Ziyad ZEYNALOV (AZE), 12 - 6

60kg
K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) TF. Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ), 11 - 1
Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) df. Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ), 4 – 0

63kg
Kudaibergen TURSYNOV (KAZ) df. Khvicha TCHITAVA (GEO), 6 - 6
K. SULAYMANOV (KGZ) df. Mohammad NOURBAKHSH (IRI), 3 – 0

67kg
Fevzi MAMUTOV (UKR) TF. Mohammad ELYASI (IRI), 12-2
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 4-2

72kg
Murat DAG (TUR) TF. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), 8 - 0
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) TF. Goga GOGIBERASHVILI (GEO), 14 – 6

77kg
Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) df. Boroomand aslan GHAREHDAGHI (IRI), 4 - 3
Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) df. Pejman PASHTAM (IRI), 5 – 5

82kg
Emrah KUS (TUR) df. Yaroslav FLICHAKOV (UKR), 2 - 1
Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) df. Keivan REZAEI (IRI), 3 – 1

87kg
Saman AZIZI (IRI) df. Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO), 4 - 3
Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ) df. S. SHIRDAKOV (KGZ), 4 – 1

97kg
Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Dorin constantin PIRVAN (ROU), 3 - 0
Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) df. Mohammad YEGANEH (IRI), 3 – 2

130kg
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Ciurariu alin ALEXUC (ROU), 4-1
Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) df. Shahab GHOUREHJILI 
 

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 10:30 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."