#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest 4th Ranking Series freestyle entries

By Eric Olanowski & Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 22) -- When the fourth Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary begins on July 13, the World Championships will be just two months away. Most countries would have finalized their world squads and would like to give them a shot at the international competition before the big showdown in Belgrade in September.

The freestyle entry list of the Budapest Ranking Series -- Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial -- confirms the interest of countries giving international experience to their wrestlers.

Iran will send its top wrestlers -- notably world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)
and Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) at 79kg -- perhaps to finalize which one of the two wrestlers in Belgrade.

It has also entered Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) at 70kg alongwith Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI) and Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) at 57kg and Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) at 92kg.

Georgia, too, has entered wrestlers in all 10 weight classes while Azerbaijan has two wrestlers -- Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) at 86kg and Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) at 97kg.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia are not behind and have entered all 10 weight classes.

The Ranking Series offers prize money to medal winners and allows two-kilogram weight tolerance in each weight category.

All the action from the fourth and final Ranking Series, which will begin with freestyle, will be live on uww.org and UWW App. 

Full Entries:
Greco-Roman entries
Women's wrestling entries

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Valentin DAMOUR (FRA)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
Horst LEHR (GER)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI)
Abzal OKENOV (KAZ)
Mukhamed BALGABAY (KAZ)
Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Suraj SINGH (NZL)
Gayan EKANAYAKA MUDIYANSELAGE (SRI)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)

61kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Arman ELOYAN (FRA)
Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Daniel POPOV (ISR)
Ossimzhan DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ)
Vladimir KUDRIN (KAZ)
Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Yaroslav HURSKYY (UKR)
Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
Vitali ARUJAU (USA)

65kg
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG)
Lachlan MCNEIL (CAN)
Shaohua YUAN (CHN)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Andre CLARKE (GER)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
SUJEET (IND)
Joshua FINESILVER (ISR)
Sanzhar MUKHTAR (KAZ)
Akbar KURBANOV (KAZ)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
Changsu KIM (KOR)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Nicholas LEE (USA)
 
70kg
Daniel COLES (CAN)
Amr Reda HUSSEN (EGY)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Mohammad BAKHSHISHIRKOLAEI (IRI)
Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI)
Yegor ANCHUGIN (KAZ)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Anil KARUNA PELI GEDARA (SRI)
Ivan KUSYAK (UKR)
Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR)
Joseph MC KENNA (USA)
 
74kg
Cesar BORDEAUX (BRA)
Adam THOMSON (CAN)
Shengsong XIA (CHN)
Otari BAGAURI (GEO)
Tim MUELLER (GER)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ)
Byungmin GONG (KOR)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Cole HAWKINS (NZL)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Udayantha FERNANDO (SRI)
Tymur HUDYMA (UKR)
Vadym KURYLENKO (UKR)
Julian RAMIREZ (USA)

79kg
Francisco de Deus KADIMA (ANG)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)
Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ)
Nurdaulet KUANYSHBAY (KAZ)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB)
Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)
Isa DEMIR (TUR)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI (UKR)
Chandler MARSTELLER (USA)

86kg
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Bruno NICOLETTI (BRA)
Xiao SUN (CHN)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Ruslan VALIEV (FRA)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Yeskali DAULETKAZY (KAZ)
Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ)
Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Andrei FRANT (ROU)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Vladyslav PRUS (UKR)
Maximus HALE (USA)
 
92kg
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Balazs Attila JUHASZ (HUN)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
Matthew FINESILVER (ISR)
Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
 
97kg
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Nishan Preet RANDHAWA (CAN)
ALATANGALIDA (CHN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
Benjamin HONIS (ITA)
Nursultan AZOV (KAZ)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ)
Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ)
Juhwan SEO (KOR)
Sung Yup RYU (KOR)
Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)

125kg
Catriel MURIEL (ARG)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Youssif HEMIDA (EGY)
Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Omar EYUBOV (KAZ)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Yeihyun JUNG (KOR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)
Mason PARRIS (USA)

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds 2025: Forrest wins epic final to hand U.S. team title

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 27) — For a second time this year, the United States and Iran were involved in a thrilling team title race in Freestyle at a World Championships with the U.S. eventually winning the title.

After being tied at 102 points each at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, the U.S. needed one win and Iran needed to win all three bouts on the final day of the competition.

The U.S. sealed the team title as soon as Jaxen FORREST (USA) won the 61kg final, giving his country an unassailable lead of 137 points over Iran, which finished second with 127 points. Japan was third with 85 points.

With the team title, U.S. won the top spot in Freestyle in all age-group World Championships while Iran won the title in senior Worlds.

Three gold medals already in pocket, the U.S. won a fourth one on Monday through Forrest who had an unforgettable bout against Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ).

Both teenagers, U20 world bronze medalist Forrest and U17 world champion Asan Uulu put on a match that will be remembered for ages. Both wrestlers settled in, Forrest came up with an over-underhook for four but Asan Uulu soon fired back with two takedown to make it 4-4. After a back-and-forth scramble, Asan Uulu managed to score a push out for a 5-4 lead.

But Forrest took a big lead when he threw Asan Uulu from quad pod position for four points. Kyrgyzstan’s lost challenge added one more point to make it 9-5.

Jaxen FORREST (USA)Jaxen FORREST (USA) scores a takedown against Umurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The two were not done yet. As soon as the second period began, Asan Uulu scored a stepout, Forrest got a takedown to make it 11-6. Asan Uulu managed to get a takedown and score via exposure. He took a 12-11 lead with a takedown on edge with 1:30 left.

There was more left in the match as Forrest got on a low single to get a takedown and as the wrestlers returned to standing, he threw Asan Uulu for a big four, the third of the match to make it 17-12. He was happy to give one takedown to Asan Uulu in the final 10 seconds and win the gold medal 17-14, in what was perhaps the match of the year.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) scores the match-winning takedown against Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 65kg, SUJEET (IND) upgraded his bronze from last year to gold this year after he blanked world bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) in the final, his third 10-0 technical superiority over Jalolov this year.

Sujeet began like favorite underhook and snapdowns and Jalolov was put on the clock. Sujeet scored a takedown during that period to lead 3-0 before a stepout made it 4-0, a lead which Sujeet carried into the break.

The second period was no different as Sujeet did not let Jalolov settle down. He scored using a counter takedown to lead 6-0 with 1:52 remaining. Jalolov tried to hit a far reaching leg attack but Sujeet throws thew himself backward before scoring a takedown. A double leg takedown to make it 10-0 with 1:06 remaining.

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) celebrates after beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan went past Turkiye in the team race by one point, all thanks to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) winning the gold medal at 97kg by beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2, in the final.

For a split second Suleimaniashvili was about to pin Yoshida but apart from that, Yoshida never looked in any kind of trouble. His body frame and power were too much for the Georgian who just folded in the battle.

Yoshida managed to score from various position and used the underhook to perfection to earn his first world title.

One of the most dominant wrestlers in this tournament, Arsen BALAIAN (UWW), capped off his incredible run with a 10-0 victory over Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ), 17-14

BRONZE: Akito MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 11-1

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), 10-0

BRONZE: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) df. Aykhan ABDULLAZADA (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 7-5

86kg
GOLD: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0

BRONZE: Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 13-2
BRONZE: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 7-5

97kg
GOLD: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 7-1
BRONZE: Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW) df. David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 4-2