#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 5 Greco-Roman Highlights

Sunday, February 8, 2026 - 09:18 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 8) -- All Greco-Roman day at the Zagreb Open on Sunday with 55kg, 60kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg and 130kg weight classes in action. World and Olympic champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) will be in action today after being away for 2 years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 RESULTS

15:25: 130kg semifinals -  Riza KAYAALP (TUR) is back in a Ranking Series final after he beats Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), 4-0. He par terre positions in both periods and a turn the first time to lead 4-0. Syrlybay did get the third passivity which is without any points but he did not score. To capture the gold medal, Kayaalp will face Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) who posted a 2-1 victory over Artur SARKISJAN (CZE). He got a reversal when Sarkisjan was put on top.

15:10: 97kg semifinals - Alex SZOKE (HUN) gets par terre in both the periods of his semifinals against Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) to win the bout 2-0 and a place in the final. He will face another Kazakhstan wrestler in former U20 world champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) who managed to get past Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), 5-3, after a big throw from par terre in the first period. Kajaia failed to turn Yevloyev from par terre but got two points for a defensive foul.

14:55: 82kg semifinals - Mihail BRADU (MDA) blocks Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) when the Iranian was trying to turn Bradu from par terre and he gets the fall. Mokhtari is devasted. Bradu is hyped as he will wrestle for gold against Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) who defeated Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) 4-3 after scoring two stepouts and overturn the result.

14:45: 72kg semifinals - Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY), former U20 world champion, beats Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ), 8-1, and moves into the final at 72kg. He will face Nika BROLADZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian found a way to beat Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) despite being down 2-1. Both wrestlers had locked each other but then Broladze just flung Kuchkorov for two points. He continued the action and scored a suplex for four points to extend his lead to 7-2, which was also the winning score.

14:35: 60kg semifinals - Alisher GANIEV (UZB) takes 29 seconds to finish his semifinal against Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) at 60kg. He gets a bodylock throw for four points and then lifts Shiotani again and completes the suplex for another four points and the world silver medalist reaches the final. But for the gold medal, he will have to go through another Japanese phenom in U23 world champion Koto GOMI (JPN) who rolls to a 10-0 technical superiority win over Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI).

14:25: 55kg semifinals - Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) gets Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ) in a front headlock and continues throwing him until securing a 9-0 lead for the win. It is ultimately called a fall. Botirov will face Mohammad HOSSEINVAND (IRI) for the gold medal after he defeated Iran's longtime 55kg wrestler Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) 1-1.

14:00: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) must be heartbroken with that loss. He led 7-0 against Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) in the 60kg quarterfinal but Shiotani gets the par terre in the second period and punishes Tibilov with two reverse lifts. A defensive foul and lost challenge give Shiotani a 11-7 lead. Another reverse lift for four points helps him win 15-7

13:45: In a battle of two age-group champions, Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) pins Abror ATBAEV (UZB) and advances to the semifinal at 72kg. After a review on challenge from Uzbekistan, they cancelled the fall for a foul from Alameldin. However, the Egyptian still posts a 2-1 victory to advance. 

13:30: Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) takes out Olympic silver medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) with a 3-1 victory at 82kg. A turn in par terre was all that was needed for Mokhtari to win the bout

13:15: Two of the most talented wrestlers at 60kg and both U23 world champions in different years, Koto GOMI (JPN) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB), have made it to the semifinals in Zagreb. A treat awaits if both reach the final

12:55: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) looks extremely good in his comeback! Using the gut-wrench against, he marches on with yet another 9-0 win at 130kg, this time over Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO)

12:45: U23 world champion Koto GOMI (JPN) with two beautiful throws to beat Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI), 9-0, and advance to the quarterfinals at 60kg

12:40: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) continues his good form in Zagreb with another technical superiority win at 60kg. This time he beats Mert ILBARS (TUR) 10-0

12:30: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), a mainstay of the Serbian team, begins his 97kg team with 9-2 victory over NITESH (IND). Kajaia had flirted with the idea of moving up to 130kg but has returned to 97kg.

12:20: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), known for his explosive reverse lift, keeps it simple against Maxwell BLACK (USA) at 60kg and battles out a controlled 8-4 win to advance.

12:00: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), Olympic silver medalist at 77kg in Paris, gets the fall over Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE) in their bout at 82kg.

11:45: Riza KAYAALP (TUR), returning to action after two years, begins with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Aden ATTAO (USA). He scores four turns from par terre for the victory at 130kg

11:35: Not something we see everyday but Marko MILANOVIC (CRO), the son of President of Croatia, is wrestling. At 130kg, he is off to a flying start with a technical superiority 9-0 victory over Joginder RATHEE (IND). After leading 5-0 at the break, Milanovic hits a suplex for four to finish the bout.

11:25: World silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) wins his opening bout at 60kg, 9-0. But that's not the story. He defeated former United States team member in Freestyle Zane RICHARDS (USA), who wrestled Greco-Roman for the first time internationally. 

11:05: Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ) stuns former European champion Artiom DELEANU (MDA) at 55kg. He finishes the bout after rolling from par terre and winning 9-0

10:55: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) takes his match into the second period but has not trouble in winning the 82kg bout against Marek VRBA (CZE), 9-0.

10: 45: World bronze medalist and big hope for a medal for the hosts Croatia Karlo KODRIC (CRO) drops his opening bout against Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) 1-1 after failing to score any points from the two par terre positions he got in the 97kg bout.

10:30: Six Greco-Roman weight classes in action but Riza KAYAALP (TUR) comeback will be the most anticipated event on Sunday in Zagreb

#WrestleNoviSad

Eriomenco, Farokhi run through U23 Worlds field to reach finals

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 00:57 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 20) -- Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) has already won the gold medal at the U23 World Championships. The Moldovan won gold in the 63kg weight class in Tirana, Albania last year.

In a bid to repeat, Eriomenco entered the 2025 edition as well, making it his fifth appearance the season-ending World Championships. Now, Eriomenco is one win away from defending his world title.

The recent bronze medalist in Zagreb, Eriomenco made it to the 63kg final at the U23 Worlds in Novi Sad, Serbia on Monday and will face a familiar opponent in the final in Ziya BABASHOV (AZE).

The two met in the U23 European Championships final earlier this year which Eriomenco won 3-1. However, Babashov had defeated the Moldovan in the final of the same tournament in 2024.

With the head-to-head locked at 1-1, Eriomenco and Babashov will clash Tuesday, the second day of the U23 Worlds which kicked off in Serbia on Monday with four Greco-Roman weight classes.

Iran and Ukraine had two finalists each while Georgia and Armenia also managed to get one each on the first day. Iran was led by world 82kg champion Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) who has moved up to 87kg but unbothered by the weight change. Defending champion at 130kg Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) returned to the final as well.

Eriomenco was heads above the field at 63kg as he won his four bouts via technical superiority. In the semifinals, he faced Kuttubek ABDURAZAKOV (KGZ) but had no trouble beating the Kyrgyzstan wrestler 10-1, scoring four turns from par terre.

Babashov on the other hand had to work hard for his 2-1 victory over Servet ANGI (TUR) in the other semifinal. He got on the scoreboard first as he scored a stepout using a two-on-one to lead 1-0. He was given the par terre position soon after but he failed to score. He still had a 2-0 lead going into the break.

Angi got his chance in the par terre in the second period but he failed to score any points over Babashov who defended his 2-1 lead to enter the final. He would now hope to repeat the performance from 2024 U23 Euro final which he won against Eriomenco 3-2.

At 87kg, Farokhi was also in top form, winning all his four bouts via technical superiority. He faced Payton JACOBSON (USA) in the semifinals but took no time as he rolled him four times from par terre to win 9-0 and advance to the final.

He will face Ivan CHMYR (UKR) for the gold medal bout after the Ukrainian defeated a surprise semifinalist in Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 2-1. Chmyr, who finished fifth at the U23 European Championships this year, held his own to beat Ben Labed.

Chmyr began with a win over Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB) before beating Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), 1-1. He then handed U23 Euro silver medalist Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) a 3-1 defeat.

In the semifinals against Ben Labed, who had beaten Ruben GEVORGYAN (ARM), Deni NAKAEV (GER) and Brian RUIZ (VEN) to reach last four, Chmyr threw Ben Labed out of bounds from par terre to lead 2-0.

But when Ben Labed got a chance in par terre, there were no points scored and Chmyr booked a place in the final against world champion Farokhi.

Hedayati, the multiple-time age-group world champion, is closer to another title at 130kg after he reached the final. He defeated Laszlo DARABOS (HUN), 4-0, in the semifinals using a stepout and a takedown on either side of the par terre position.

He will face Ramzik KURDYAN (ARM) in the final after the Armenian defeated Aleksandr MELEKHOV (UWW), 5-1, in the final. Kurdyan, who has a silver from U17 Worlds in 2019, rolled Melekhanov twice from par terre after defending his par terre position to win 5-1.

At 77kg, Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) upset European 72kg champion Levente LEVAI (HUN), 2-2, to reach the final as he looks to better his silver medal from 2022. Levai had a clear 2-1 lead in the semifinals when he scored takedown on the edge.

Levai increased his lead to 4-1 but Ukraine challenged and a foul was confirmed by Levai and he docked a point for stepping out which made the score 2-2 with Mirzoiev lead on last-point scored criteria. He defended that lead to reach the final for the second time in his career.

Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO) will try to stop him from winning the gold medal on Tuesday after he got the better of U23 Asian champion Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-2.

Nakibov got the first par terre position but was blocked by Orjonikidze who scored a reversal and turn to lead 3-1. Georgia challenged asking for four points and on review it was confirmed that Nakibov fell in danger for four points.

With a 5-1 lead, Orjonikidze went into the passive mode and was put down in par terre in the second period. Nakibov tried to score with a turn but Orjonikidze never came in danger.

Uzbekistan challenged asking for two points but it was lost, giving one more point to Orjonikidze who won 6-2 and reach the final. 

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) vs. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)

SF 1: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) df. Servet ANGI (TUR), 2-1
SF 2: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Kuttubek ABDURAZAKOV (KGZ), 10-1

77kg
GOLD: Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO) vs. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)

SF 1: Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-2
SF 2: Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) df. Levente LEVAI (HUN), 2-2

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) vs. Ivan CHMYR (UKR)

SF 1: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Payton JACOBSON (USA), 9-0
SF 2: Ivan CHMYR (UKR) df. Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 2-1

130kg
GOLD: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) vs. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN), 4-0
SF 2: Razmik KURDYAN (ARM) df. Aleksandr MELEKHOV (UWW), 5-1