#Pankration

World Combat Games: Ukraine dominates Pankration with six golds

By United World Wrestling Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (October 25) -- Five months ago, they led Ukraine’s march at the Pankration World Championships. On Wednesday, they continued the European powerhouse’s fine run at the World Combat Games in Riyadh as Ukraine grabbed six out of the 10 possible gold medals across men's and women's categories.

Ukrainian athletes reigned supreme in four out of the five categories in the men’s event, with Oleksandr HULIAIEV (71kg), Kyrylo HOROBETS (84kg), Roman KIZIUK (92kg), Bohdan HNIDKO (100kg) winning gold medals.

Ali GULIYEV (AZE)Ali GULIYEV (AZE) was the only non-Ukrainian to win a gold medal on Wednesday. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

World champion Ihor ZHOVNIR (UKR) suffered a shock defeat in the semifinals to eventual silver medallist Sabit ZHUSSIP (KAZ), which dented Ukraine’s hopes of winning all six gold medals in the men’s section. Ali GULIYEV (AZE) won the gold medal in the 66kg weight class by beating Zhussip.

In the women’s event, Anna BEZHENAR (53kg) and Daria CHIBISOVA (65kg) finished on top of the podium on a memorable day for the country’s athletes at the World Combat Games.

Huliaiev hardly broke a sweat during his three bouts in which he did not concede a single point. He began with a submission win over Ali SHARIFOV (AZE) in the quarterfinals and followed it up with a 5-0 verdict against Zhassulan AKIMZHAN (KAZ) in the semifinals. In the final, Huliaiev defeated Marvin BELECCIU (ROU) via submission after a 10-1 lead to win the gold medal.

Kyrylo HOROBETS (UKR)Kyrylo HOROBETS (UKR) won the 80kg final 4-2 against Khasan NAFULLAEV (UZB). (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

It wasn’t as easy for Horobets, who began with a 14-5 win over Turkman MAMMADLI (AZE) before conjuring a 10-3 win against Samat SHAGYRAYEV (KAZ) – whom he had beaten in the World Championship final – in the last four. In the final, Horobets beat Khasan NAFULLAEV (UZB) 4-2.

Kiziuk, too, was dominant on his way to the top of the podium as he won all his bouts via superiority. He began by overcoming Daniel GOREA (MDA) 13-1 in the quarterfinals before beating Islom BALTAEV (UZB) 15-1 in the semis. In the final, Kiziuk defeated Duman BALMUKHANOV (KAZ) 13-1.

In another rematch of the World Championship title bout, Hnidko beat Diyar NURGOZHAY (KAZ) 13-1 technical superiority to complete a double over his opponent and win another gold medal.

Anna BEZHENAR (UKR)Anna BEZHENAR (UKR) won the 53kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Meanwhile, in the women’s bouts, Bezhenar was quick off the blocks as she downed Dimitra PAFRA (GRE) via submission in her opening match before defeating Danielle LENTINI (CAN) 11-2 in the semifinals. In the title round, the Ukrainian defeated world championship bronze medallist Mukhlisa NABIJONOVA (UZB) 10-3.

Ukraine’s final gold medal of the day came from Chibisova in the 65kg category. Chibisova defeated Alessia AMENDOLA (ITA) and Esmira MAMMADOVA (AZE) in the early rounds before beating Meruyert IBRAYEVA 9-3 to win the gold.

Khilola SOBIROVA (UZB)Khilola SOBIROVA (UZB) earned the 57kg gold medal at the World Combat Games. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Uzbekistan, the United States and Germany were other countries that won gold medals in the women’s events.

Khilola SOBIROVA (UZB) defeated Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR) 6-3 to give Uzbekistan a memorable title in the 57kg category while Lorena CUBERO (GER) gave Germany their first gold medal, beating Vincenza AMENDOLA (ITA) 5-1 in the 70kg final.

Madeline SCHELLMAN (USA)The four medalists at 80kg with Madeline SCHELLMAN (USA) with the gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari) 

The long gold medal for the U.S. was won by Madeline SCHELLMAN (USA) as her opponent Mereke ZHUNUSSOVA (KAZ) was called unfit to continue and injured after Schellman had built a 10-1 lead in the final. Schellman won the gold in the 80kg category.

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2026 U23 European Championships

U23 European Championships 2026 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (February 24) -- The 2026 U23 European Championships will be held in Zrenjanin, Serbia from March 9 to 15. Freestyle will kick off on Monday, followed by Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman to finish the tournament.

More than 400 wrestlers are registered to compete at the continental event. Click here for the full schedule of 2026 U23 European Championships.

Greco-Roman

55kg
Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Farid SADIKHLI (AZE)
Alyosha ILIEV (BUL)
Filip BARTOSIK (CZE)
Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO)
Edmond DOMOKOS (HUN)
Maxim SARMANOV (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Alibek AMIROV (RUS)
Sercan KESGIN (TUR)
Ivan STEFANSKYI (UKR)

60kg
Andi MUCA (ALB)
Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)
Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE)
Borislav KIRILOV (BUL)
Brian SANTIAGO (DEN)
Ilian AINAOUI (FRA)
Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO)
Georgios PAPAGEORGIOU (GRE)
Levente FIGE (HUN)
Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL)
Murat KHATIT (RUS)
Ahmet TASKINOGLU (TUR)
Yevhen POKOVBA (UKR)

63kg
Mikel TROPLINI (ALB)
Armen SUKIASYAN (ARM)
Ilkin GURBANOV (AZE)
Hristiyan IVANOV (BUL)
Al Bara CHOPALAEV (EST)
Lucas LO GRASSO (FRA)
Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Marios KAPANTAIS (GRE)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Miguel LOUREIRO (POR)
Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS)
Andrej VELISAVLJEV (SRB)
Algot GAMELIUS (SWE)
Enes ULKU (TUR)
Maksut SULTANOV (UKR)

67kg
Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM)
Farid KHALILOV (AZE)
Ihar YERMACHENKAU (BLR)
Kristiyan MILENKOV (BUL)
Matous JANKOVIC (CZE)
William REENBERG (DEN)
Nestori MANNILA (FIN)
Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Janis HEINZELBECKER (GER)
David MANYIK (HUN)
Kipras PUIKIS (LTU)
Pavel DENISENCO (MDA)
Bers TIMIRBIEV (NOR)
Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL)
Pavel ALEXE (ROU)
Daniial AGAEV (RUS)
Dejan BERKEC (SRB)
Saya BRUNNER (SUI)
Magnus EKEROT (SWE)
Azat SARIYAR (TUR)
Imed KHUDZHADZE (UKR)

72kg
Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE)
Zakhar YANEVICH (BLR)
Dimitar GEORGIEV (BUL)
Gonzalo CAPARROS DIEGUEZ (ESP)
Artur JEREMEJEV (EST)
Oliver PADA (FIN)
Nika BROLADZE (GEO)
Magomed KARTOJEV (GER)
Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE)
Steve MOMILIA (ITA)
Vasile ZABICA (MDA)
Hubert SIDORUK (POL)
Joao DUARTE SIMOES (POR)
Leonard IURASCU (ROU)
Rabil ASKEROV (RUS)
Djordje HIRCL (SRB)
Mathias MARTINETTI (SUI)
Ali GOCMEN (TUR)
Dmytro VASYLIEV (UKR)

77kg
Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM)
Ravan NURIYEV (AZE)
Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR)
Albert DOEV (BUL)
Luka IVANCIC (CRO)
Dalgat MAGOMEDOV (CZE)
Miro LEINONEN (FIN)
Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO)
Louis LAY (GER)
Dominik BOTOS (HUN)
Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Igor BOTEZ (ROU)
Danil GRIGOREV (RUS)
Zalan PEK (SRB)
Fritz REBER (SUI)
Adam STRANDNER (SWE)
Cengizhan DAG (TUR)
Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)

82kg
Martik PETROSYAN (ARM)
Elmin ALIYEV (AZE)
Ibrahim TABAEV (BEL)
Illia VALEUSKI (BLR)
Martin SHISHEKOV (BUL)
Michal ZELENKA (CZE)
Jose TESO SOBA (ESP)
Ekke LEITHAM (EST)
Vikke TARKKIO (FIN)
Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO)
Andreas VASILAKOPOULOS (GRE)
Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN)
Matija RADOJEVIC (MNE)
Alexander AEMAES (NOR)
Oskar LUBERA (POL)
Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS)
Antal VAMOS (SRB)
Ognjen JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB)
Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE)
Yusuf GOLBASI (TUR)
Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR)

87kg
Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM)
Said AKHUNDZADA (AZE)
Andrey ATANASOV (BUL)
Antonio LUKAC (CRO)
Frederik MATHIESEN (DEN)
Elias LYYSKI (FIN)
Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA)
Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Leon RIVALTA (ITA)
Martin LJOSAAK (NOR)
Yassine BEN LABED (POL)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Imam ALIEV (RUS)
Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB)
Alperen BERBER (TUR)
Vladyslav SOLODCHUK (UKR)

97kg
Ruben GEVORGYAN (ARM)
Ali GULIYEV (AZE)
Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR)
Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL)
Tomislav BRKAN (CRO)
Robin USPENSKI (EST)
Luka GABISONIA (GEO)
Darius KIEFER (GER)
Christos CHATSATOUROV (GRE)
Vendel VITAI (HUN)
Ilia CERNOVOL (MDA)
Wojciech IWANOWSKI (POL)
Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Uros KRSTIN (SRB)
Muhittin HELVACI (TUR)
Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR)

130kg
Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Leonhard JUNGER (AUT)
Aykhan MARDANOV (AZE)
Viachaslau FEDARYNA (BLR)
Alan DZABIEV (BUL)
Marko MILANOVIC (CRO)
Artur SARKISJAN (CZE)
Eerik PANK (EST)
Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO)
Achilleas CHRYSIDIS (GRE)
Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)
Sebastian WARCHOL (POL)
Aleksandr MELEKHOV (RUS)
David MOLNAR (SRB)
Huseyin CIL (TUR)
Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR)

Manuel WAGIN (GER)Manuel WAGIN (GER) will compete at 74kg in Zrenjanin, Serbia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Freestyle

57kg
Arman HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE)
Artsiom PAULIUCHENKA (BLR)
Nik DOYCHINOV (BUL)
Rassoul GALBOURAEV (FRA)
Danoush JOWKAR (GBR)
Nikoloz BOTCHORISHVILI (GEO)
Karamjeet HOLSTEIN (GER)
Nektarios KOUZOUPIS (GRE)
Balazs RACZ (HUN)
Ion BULGARU (MDA)
Aiandai ONDAR (RUS)
Baris UNSAL (TUR)
Mykola BRATOV (UKR)

61kg
Ajndi KRYEZIU (ALB)
Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM)
Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE)
Herbert AKAPIAN (BLR)
Erdal GALIP (BUL)
Rezo MARSAGISHVILI (GEO)
Vasile MARCU (MDA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Rafal SZEWC (POL)
Anzor MAZHIDOV (RUS)
Robert MESZAROS (SVK)
Tolga OZBEK (TUR)
Andrii SHOKALIUK (UKR)

65kg
Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM)
Luca HARTMANN (AUT)
Musa AGHAYEV (AZE)
Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR)
Saba GAMBASHIDZE (GEO)
Magomed KARTOJEV (GER)
Zoltan MIZSEI (HUN)
Mattia BIENTINESI (ITA)
Fiodor CEAVDARI (MDA)
Daniel SANDU (ROU)
Dzhambulat KIZINOV (RUS)
Sandro HUNGERBUEHLER (SUI)
Yusuf TUMER (TUR)
Viktor BOROHAN (UKR)

70kg
Davit MARGARYAN (ARM)
Alexander SEIWALD (AUT)
Ramik HEYBATOV (AZE)
Mikita DZEMCHANKA (BLR)
Kaloyan ATANASOV (BUL)
Denis KODAKOV GIL (ESP)
Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
Marcel WAGIN (GER)
Tomas GORMLEY (IRL)
Daniele GUBBIOTTI (ITA)
Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA)
Daniel KULCZYNSKI (POL)
Benjamin BOEJTHE (ROU)
Magomed ELTEMIROV (RUS)
Umut ERDOGAN (TUR)
Mykyta SARIIEV (UKR)

74kg
Grigor CHOLAKYAN (ARM)
Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE)
Aliaksandr HULNIK (BLR)
Petar PETKOV (BUL)
Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA)
Saba KOBAKHIDZE (GEO)
Manuel WAGIN (GER)
Raul CASO (ITA)
Ion MARCU (MDA)
Fabian NIEDZWIEDZKI (POL)
Gigi SUBTIRICA (ROU)
Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS)
Florian BISSIG (SUI)
Halit OZMUS (TUR)
Mykyta MORHUN (UKR)

79kg
Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM)
Muhamed BEKTEMIROV (AUT)
Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE)
Aliaksandr VIARBITSKI (BLR)
Aykan SEID (BUL)
Tristan ALEKSANDROV (EST)
Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO)
Marat KARDANOV (GER)
Vlad STRATAN (MDA)
Dario DIMITROV (MKD)
Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL)
Ismail KHANIEV (RUS)
Andrija IVANOVIC (SRB)
Kimi KAEPPELI (SUI)
Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR)
Bohdan OLEKSIIENKO (UKR)

86kg
Razmik YEPREMYAN (ARM)
Vasif KHUDIYEV (AZE)
Artsiom BELAVUSAU (BLR)
Radomir STOYANOV (BUL)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO)
Vladimir PLIEV (ISR)
Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA)
Marius RETCO (MDA)
Bartlomiej NOWAKOWSKI (POL)
Bozigit ISLAMGEREEV (RUS)
Anton VYHIVSKYI (SVK)
Ahmet YAGAN (TUR)
Artur KOSTIUK (UKR)

92kg
Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM)
Ali TCOKAEV (AZE)
Artsiom ALIAKEVICH (BLR)
Sali SALIEV (BUL)
Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO)
Daniel FISCHER (GER)
Grigorios SARIDIS (GRE)
Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN)
Alexandru BORS (MDA)
Igor SZUCKI (POL)
Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (RUS)
David JAKSIK (SVK)
Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR)
Yehor HOROKH (UKR)

97kg
Gurgen SIMONYAN (ARM)
Zafar ALIYEV (AZE)
Uladzislau KAZLOU (BLR)
Andriyan VALKANOV (BUL)
Aimar ALZON EGUINOA (ESP)
Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Nikolaos KARAVANOS (GRE)
Nikita GOUBARETS (ISR)
Davide COSSU (ITA)
Filip SZUCKI (POL)
Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS)
Adam JAKSIK (SVK)
Emirhan KILIC (TUR)
Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR)

125kg
Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)
Stsiapan MANDRYK (BLR)
Dian MANEV (BUL)
Aleksandre ABRAMISHVILI (GEO)
Emil THIELE (GER)
Milan GELLEN (HUN)
Dmitrii DUSCOV (MDA)
Michal DUBOWSKI (POL)
Brian TECHEREAN (ROU)
Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (RUS)
Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR)
Ivan MYROSHNYCHENKO (UKR)

Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR)Senior European champion Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR) will be at 68kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Asmar JANKURTARAN (AZE)
Sviatlana KATENKA (BLR)
Mariam GRIGALASHVILI (GEO)
Laura FATH (HUN)
Marija SPIRKOVSKA (MKD)
Ana ROTARU (ROU)
Aleksandra KOPYLOVA (RUS)
Andela VASILJEVIC (SRB)
Svenja JUNGO (SUI)
Zerda DEMIR (TUR)
Aida KERYMOVA (UKR)

53kg
Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE)
Kseniya KOSTSENICH (BLR)
Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Patrycja STRZELCZYK (POL)
Nicoleta BAJAN (ROU)
Ekaterina KARPUSHKINA (RUS)
Reka HEGEDUS (SVK)
Sevval CAYIR (TUR)
Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR)

55kg
Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE)
Aliaksandra BULAVA (BLR)
Nesrin SYULEYMANOVA (BUL)
Maria CAZALLA TORRES (ESP)
Gerda TEREK (HUN)
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA)
Alexandra VOICULESCU (ROU)
Kira SOLOBCHUK (RUS)
Tuba DEMIR (TUR)
Albina RILLIA (UKR)

57kg
Aryna DZEMCHANKA (BLR)
Olga POPOVA (BUL)
Romaissa EL KHARROUBI (FRA)
Amory ANDRICH (GER)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
Csilla VAN OS (NED)
Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR)
Julia NOWICKA (POL)
Georgiana LIRCA (ROU)
Elena KUROVA (RUS)
Jana PETROVIC (SRB)
Tindra DALMYR (SWE)
Emine CAKMAK (TUR)
Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR)

59kg
Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE)
Marta HETMANAVA (BLR)
Viktoria BOYNOVA (BUL)
Madalina PRISACARI (MDA)
Olha PADOSHYK (POL)
Ana PUIU (ROU)
Ekaterina RADYSHEVA (RUS)
Jovana RADIVOJEVIC (SRB)
Karin SAMUELSSON (SWE)
Sevim AKBAS (TUR)
Yuliia PAKHNIUK (UKR)

62kg
Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Uladzislava KUDZIN (BLR)
Desislava IVANOVA (BUL)
Lana NOGIC (CRO)
Iris THIEBAUX (FRA)
Naemi LEISTNER (GER)
Gabriela RUDOI (MDA)
Alicja WOJEWODZKA NOWOSAD (POL)
Viorica ADAM (ROU)
Amina TANDELOVA (RUS)
Viktoria FOELDESIOVA (SVK)
Gulsum BINGOL (TUR)
Albina KLIEFAS (UKR)

65kg
Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR)
Leonie STEIGERT (GER)
Nikoleta BARMPA (GRE)
Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA)
Alexandra MOISEI (MDA)
Maria PANTIRU (ROU)
Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS)
Emilija JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB)
Linnea SVENSSON (SWE)
Beyza AKKUS (TUR)
Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR)

68kg
Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR)
Gerda BARTH (GER)
Karolina POK (HUN)
Laura GODINO (ITA)
Luciana BEDA (MDA)
Karolina DOMASZUK (POL)
Alina SHEVCHENKO (RUS)
Ayse ERKAN (TUR)
Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)

72kg
Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE)
Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR)
Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL)
Veronika VILK (CRO)
Laura KOEHLER (GER)
Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU)
Emilia CRECIUN (MDA)
Karolina JAWORSKA (POL)
Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (RUS)
Masa PEROVIC (SRB)
Haticenur SARI (TUR)
Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR)

76kg
Aliaksandra SIAMIONAVA (BLR)
Vanesa GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Patrycja CUBER (POL)
Mariia SILINA (RUS)
Bukrenaz SERT (TUR)
Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)