#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2025 Day 3: Blades dominant, Jafarov injured

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- Zagreb Open enters day three with four Women's Wrestling weight classes and two Greco-Roman weight class. Paris Games silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) at 76kg is moving down to 68kg and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist in Paris at 67kg, is in action as well.

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13:30: Further problems for Iran. After Gholami's loss, Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) suffers a 6-1 loss to Valentin PETIC (MDA). Petic led 3-0 a the break but Mohsen Nezhad got two turns from par terre to make it 5-3 in the second period. Iran challenged that Petic committed a leg foul but it was seen on review that Mohsen Nezhad grabbed the singlet during par terre for the turns. The points were cancelled. A bodylock situation resulted in Petic falling on his back outside the zone but Mohsen Nezhad stepped out first make it 4-1. A desperate attempt from Mohsen Nezhad did not come through and gave Petic two more points

13:25: A front headlock throw from Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) gave him a 4-0 lead against Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI). Joergensen got a turn from par terre to make it 7-0 but Gholami scored a stepout to reduce the lead to 7-1. But Norway challenged the call and it was a four-point throw from standing which made it 9-0 and Joergensen reached the final.

13:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a dominant win in the semifinal against Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) after he blocks the Uzbek in par terre and scores two points, a correct throw for two more and a gut wrench for two more to lead 6-1 at the break. A beautiful four-point throw in the second to finish the match 10-1. He will take on Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) who was quick in a 8-0 win over Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)

13:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) is the gold medalist at 68kg. She has Round 5 left but as she has drubbed her all opponents, she will most likely remain as the top wrestlers. She just beat Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) 10-0.

12:50: Round 4 bout at 62kg saw Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) pull out a takedown and gut wrench with a second remaining to win 5-2 against Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). Nwachukwu got one extra point for Dudova's lost challenge. She is the gold medalist at 62kg as she won all four of her bouts in the round-robin bracket.

12:40: An all Azerbaijan final at 59kg! Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) holds off Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) 3-1 while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) beats Michaela BECK (USA) 6-0 to enter the final

12:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a final second desperate move to beat AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg. Keshtkar was trailing 2-0 when he got Khalmakhanov in a horizontal lift and brought him down in danger for four points. Khalmakhanov scored a counter for two but Keshtkar's big move gave the Iranian a 4-4 win. One point was added after Uzbekistan lost the challenge.

12:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) was too quick for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) at 68kg. She got a single leg for takedown. Blades then catches Hanzlickova in a bar on the edge and gets the fall just before the break. 

11:55: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) and Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) put on a show in their 67kg quarterfinal. Gholami, who last wrestled internationally at U17 World Championships in 2023 at 55kg, opened up a 5-1 lead at the break. However, Agaev with a takedown but gives up an exposure, giving Gholami a 7-3 lead and the win

11:45: U20 world champion Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) rolls out a top-class gut wrench and beats Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB) 8-3 and moves into the semifinal at 67kg. With Jafarov out, he is now the favorite to win gold.

11:35: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) was leading 7-0 against Valentin PETIC (MDA) but pulls out injured. Update: Jafarov has peeled his skin behind his ear after a rub with the mat. He is being treated in the hospital

11:25: Trademark double armlock and pin for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) as she beats Karolina POK (HUN) at 68kg. Hanzlickova trusts that move with her life

11:20: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) with two activity points as she wins 2-0 against Nikolett SZABO (HUN) at 62kg.

11:15: Change in weight classes but no change in Kennedy BLADES (USA). She comes out with a throw and then arm bars Kendra DACHER (FRA) in the Round 2 bout at 68kg.

11:10: Former world champion at 63kg Sebastian NAD (SRB) and Farid KHALILOV (AZE) share a turn each from par terre but Nad does it in the second period and wins 3-3 at 67kg.

11:00: Hasrad JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, was staring at defeated with a minute remaining in his opening bout against Morten THORESEN (NOR) but is awarded a third passivity par terre and he does a reverse lift for four points and wins 5-1

10:55: In Round 1 at 65kg, Dinara KUDAEVA (AIN) pins Milla ANDELIC (CRO) while Eniko ELEKES (HUN) comes back from 4-0 to beat Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) 4-4.

10:50: Two bouts in Round 1 of 59kg and Azerbaijan has a great start. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) got a 5-0 win over Erika BOGNAR (HUN) while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) pinned Sofia MACALUSO (USA)

10:45: World bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) gave up an early point against Kendra DACHER (FRA) but manages to see her off 6-2 at 68kg. Hanzlickova became the first-ever Czech wrestler to win a world medal when she won bronze at 72kg in Tirana last year. 

10:30: Welcome to day three of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. With Freestyle done, we have four women's wrestling weight classes in action today -- 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg along with Greco-Roman in 63kg and 67kg.

2026 World Championships

Maroulis, Dake, Snyder Make U.S. Team for 2026 World Championships

By United World Wrestling Press

NEWARK, New Jersey, United States -- Four-time world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) returned to the United States team for the World Championships after three years after beating defending world champion Zahid VALENCIA (USA) in best-of-three series at 86kg on Friday.

Dake overcame a round one loss to take two straight matches from Valencia at the 2026 Final X, the World Championships selection tournament for the U.S.

Apart from Dake, world champions Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Helen MAROULIS (USA) also made the team and will look to defend their gold medals in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 24 to November 1.

Paris Olympic champion will also be eyeing her third world title after she got a forfeit in her matches to make the team the at 72kg. Now a mother of four-month old child, Elor has not wrestled internationally since the gold medal win in Paris in August 2024.

United StatesThe eight winners of Final X on Friday. (Photo: USA Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Dake, who lost the first bout to Valencia 3-2, returned to win 4-1 and 4-0 in second and third bouts to lock up his place at 86kg.

Snyder also had to go the distance to beat Stephen BUCHANAN (USA) at 97kg. Buchanan snuck in a 5-5 criteria win in round two, before Snyder rebounded with a controlled 9-3 decision in round three.

For a second-straight year, Maroulis faced Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) at 57kg in Women's Wrestling and it was much closer this time around. Maroulis defeated Martinez, 8-1 and 6-0, for two straight wins.

A few young stars also made the team and will be taking their first trip to the senior World Championships.

Among the top battles was at 61kg in which U20 world champion Marcus BLAZE (USA) defeated U23 world champion Jaxen FORREST (USA) in three bouts.

Blaze managed a 2-2 criteria win over Forrest in the first bout before the latter bounced back with a 6-1 win in the second. Blaze locked the third bout with a 5-2 win.

United StatesThe eight Final X winners in Women's Wrestling on Friday. (Photo: USA Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

At 50kg in Women's Wrestling, U17 world champion Morgan TURNER (USA) took out Katie GOMEZ (USA) in three bouts. The 18-year-old won the first bout over Gomez 7-2 before dropping the second 3-2. However, dictated the third one and finished as an 8-2 winner.

With the win, Turner has qualified to represent the U.S. at the U20, U23 and Senior World Championships this year.

A second 18-year-old high school graduate, Everest LEYDECKER (USA), won at 55kg in straight matches. The U20 world champion defeated Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA), 2-1 and 3-1, to make her first senior-level world team.

In other Women's Wrestling matches, former world medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) got the better of Jennifer PAGE (USA) in two matches, 7-2 and 5-1.

At 59kg, Abigail NETTE (USA) dominated Alexis JANIAK (USA) in both matches, beating her via fall in first and 10-0 in the second. Former U20 world champion Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) also dominant in her bouts at 53kg, beating Elena IVALDI (USA), 10-0 and 9-0.

The 62kg series went back-and-forth as Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) defeated Macey KILTY (USA). She pinned Kilty in the first bout before losing the second 4-0. In a thrilling third bout, Nwachukwu held on to a 4-3 win.

In Freestyle, Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) will being once again look to win his first world medal after making the team at 57kg. He won 7-1 and 8-4 over Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who had defeated Lee at the U.S. Open.

World silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) went 6-1 and 6-3 against Chance MARSTELLER (USA) at 79kg to secure his spot. He will look to change the colour of his medal that he won in his debut World Championships last year.

Veteran James GREEN (USA) will represent the U.S. at 74kg after he defeated David CARR (USA), two bouts to one. James won the first bout 6-3 before Carr levelled it with a 6-5 win. But Green defeated Carr 4-1 to secure his spot.

At 70kg, former world champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) will also return to the mega event after blanking Ridge LOVETT (USA), 2-1 and 8-2.

Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) will wrestle at 125kg after he defeated former world medalist Mason PARRIS (USA), 9-5 and 7-1.

World champion Trent HIDLAY (USA) had already secured his spot at 92kg spot last week with a series win over Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA) as the series was rescheduled earlier due to Hidlay's wedding.

The 65kg selection between 2025 world bronze medalist Real WOODS (USA) and Bowen BASSETT (USA) has been delayed and will be contested at a date and location to be determined.

In a similar case, 2025 world bronze medalists Kennedy BLADES (USA) and Kylie WELKER (USA) requested and received medical delays for their match-ups against Isabella MIR (USA) at 68kg and Dymond GUILFORD (USA) at 76kg, respectively.