Weights to watch at Ulaanbaatar Open 2025

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - 10:14 By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 27) -- Among all the names entered for the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, a few will be involved in mini-battles in the tournament which begins Thursday.

After the continental championships had a few interesting match-ups, the Ranking Series always has more contrasting matches with mix of continental styles and bouts that otherwise may not happen at continental or World Championships.

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) has previously defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At the Ulaanbaatar Open, here are three weight classes that are must-watch:

Women's Wrestling: 62kg [May 31, Saturday]

Current Asian champion, former world champions, former Asian champions and world medalists make up for the six-wrestler bracket at 62kg in Women's Wrestling.

MANISHA (IND), who impressed with a gold-winning performance at the Asian Championships in Amman, will be looking to rake up more Ranking Series points. She has a tough bracket in Ulaanbaatar with former world champions Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) and Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL). Mongolia has named a third wrestler in the weight class -- Saruul ERDENEBILEG (MGL).

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) and 2024 European U23 silver medalist Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW) will also be part of the bracket and challenge the Asian wrestlers.

An all-Mongolian clash between Sukhee and Purevdorj will certainly give the local fans an exciting match-up. The winner will have the upper hand when the nation selects its team for the World Championships.

Sukhee has lost to Purevdorj before and finished seventh at the Asian Championships. But she also won a silver medal at 59kg at the World Championships last year.

For Manisha, it will be a big test against big throwing Mongolian wrestlers and Kasabieva, who will look to put behind her fifth-place finish at the European Championships in Bratislava. She has struggled against the Asian style but can use this tournament to improve her skills.

Koshkina did not win a medal at the U23 Europeans this year but Ulaanbaatar will be an important stop in her senior level journey.

Freestyle: 70kg [June 1, Sunday]

A world champion from four years ago is trying to find his way to the top in international wrestling. And his first stop is the Ulaanbaatar Open. Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW), who won gold at 65kg in 2021 World Championships, hopes to restart his career with the Ranking Series and is entered at 70kg.

Shakhiev won the European Championships as well in 2021 before the Worlds but in 2022, he was pinned by Shamil MAMMEDOV (UWW) in the Yasar Dogu final and Shakhiev never made it to international tournament again.

Despite his talent, Shakhiev won't have it easy in Ulaanbaatar. Asian silver medalist at 70kg Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) is coming to improve his ranking. Rassadin has had a few good wins in past one year including one over Chermen VALIEV (ALB), the Olympic bronze and European champion. He also had the Asian gold in his hands but Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) scored late to snatch the medal.

The hosts have three wrestlers at this weight class but the most eager to compete against Shakhiev will be Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL). At the 2021 World Championships, Tumur Ochir suffered a 4-4 loss to Shakhiev. The Mongolian contested the scoring but to no avail. He won the bronze medal.

Iran has two wrestlers at this weight class -- Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI) and Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI). Amouzad is the twin brother of Olympic silver medalist Rahman. If he can replicate the conditioning and underhook of his brother, Amouzad can well upset a few names.

Enes BASAR (TUR) was at the Paris Olympics at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Greco-Roman: 60kg [May 30, Friday]

Three young stars will be challenging a skillful Olympian at 60kg. Enes BASAR (TUR), who surprised most by qualifying for the Paris Olympics, is at 60kg for the Ulaanbaatar. Basar has a defense that frustrates his opponents and his experience will give him the edge in the Nelson bracket of 60kg.

Former world U17 champion SURAJ (IND), Asian U23 champion Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ) and Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ) will be the challengers to Basar in the weight class.

Suraj won historic age-group medals for India but has not been able to replicate the same at the senior level though he has been the best nationally for India. The Ranking Series will be a big test for him.

Kyrgyzstan two youngsters will be looking to make a mark in a weight class reserved for Olympic bronze medalist and world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ). Sulaimanov has won age-group medals in Asia but finished fifth at the Asian Championships recently. Zhaparov, an Asian U20 silver medalist, will be returning to international competition after three years.

#WrestleZagreb

Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold

Friday, September 19, 2025 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 19) -- Paris Olympic champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) safely negotiated the minefield that was the draw of the stacked 97kg division, advancing to the final to earn a shot at capturing a second world title.

Saravi defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) 3-1 in the semifinals Friday at the World Championships in Zagreb, putting him in Saturday's gold-medal match against Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) as the finals were set in three Greco weight classes.

In other finals, Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB) will battle it out at 60kg, while the 72kg match will be a rematch of last year's final between defending champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA).

Saravi, who avoided the upset bug that hit the legendary Artur ALEKSANYAN (AZE) and 2023 world champion Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) earlier in the day, executed a gut wrench from par terre against Maskevich, then hardly budged when he was put on the bottom in the second period.

The victory gives Saravi, who won his third straight Asian title and fourth overall this year, a shot at regaining the world title he won in 2021. He also has an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze medals to his credit.

Sargsian, a 2021 bronze medalist, earned his place in the final with a 1-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), prevailing on the criteria of receiving the first of two passivity points.

Following an opening victory by technical superiority, it was Sargsian's third straight victory by a 1-1 scoreline, an aspect that is totally irrelevant to him.

"I don’t care about the score, the important thing is that they raised my hand," Sargsian said. "All my life I tried to win ahead of time, to get 8-0 in every match -- and for what? It didn’t lead to anything good. I’m 27 years old and I still have only world championship medal. So for me, three times 1-1 is the same as three times 8-0."

For Sargsian, the final gives him a chance to avenge a loss to Saravi from the 2021 World Championships, when the Iranian defeated him 6-4 in the first round in Oslo.

"I’m very glad that tomorrow I’ll finally have my long-awaited rematch with Saravi," Sargsian said. "It adds extra excitement that now he is not only a world champion, but also an Olympic champion."

At 60kg, Asian silver medalist Ganiev will get a chance to become just the second Uzbekistan wrestler to win a world Greco title after holding on to win a 5-5 thriller
over European silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB).

Ganiev was on top in par terre, trailing on criteria because he received the second passivity point, when he lifted Tibilov and executed a nifty cartwheel for a 4-pointer and a 5-4 lead.

But Tibilov, a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2023, was not going down easily, and he pressured Ganiev at the edge for a takedown, then added a second one. But
that was all he could get, and Ganiev won on big-point criteria.

The victory avenged a 6-4 loss to Tibilov in the final of the Zagreb Open in the same arena back in February.

Uzbekistan's lone title in Greco came back in 2001, when Dilshod ARIPOV (UZB) won the 58kg gold in Patras, Greece.

Sultangali, who has world bronze medals from 2018 and 2022, will get a shot at his first gold after putting on a late surge and defeating Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
10-2 in the other semifinal.

Sultangali trailed 2-1 when he bulled Shavadze over for a 4-point takedown with :30 left, then added a gut wrench. An unsuccessful challenge made it 8-2 before Shavadze gave up the fight and allowed a stepout with fleeing penalty point with :03 left.

Kazakhstan has won five Greco world golds through three wrestlers, but hasn't had put one on the top of the medal podium since 1999, when Mkhtar MANUKYAN
(KAZ) won the second of his back-to-back titles at 63kg in Athens.

At 72kg, a second potential Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan match-up failed to come to fruition when both countries' wrestlers lost in the semifinals. Instead, it will be
Ganizade and Ghanem going at it for the second consecutive year.

Ganizade scored all of his points in the first period in a 5-0 victory over Asian silver medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB). He slipped behind for a takedown, then added a gut wrench before getting the lone passivity point to cap the first period.

In the other semifinal, Ghanem was leading a close match 3-2 as it was winding down when he countered Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) for 4-point throw.

Maulitkanov just remained lying on the mat, officially giving Ghanem a victory by fall in 5:49.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg (25 entries)
SF 1: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-2, 5:57
SF 2: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 5-5

72kg (30 entries)
SF 1: Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 5-0
SF 2: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:49 (7-2)

97kg (29 entries)
SF 1: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 1-1

Weights to watch at Ulaanbaatar Open 2025

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Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold