WORLD CLUBS CUP

16 Olympic and World Medalists to Compete at FR World Clubs Cup

Tuesday, December 5, 2017 - 15:53 By Ali Feizasa

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The 2017 World Clubs Cup is set to be held in Tehran City, Iran, with many Olympic and World champions getting ready to step on mat at the Azadi Sport complex.

About 16 Olympic and World medalists will compete in the World Clubs Cup on Thursday and Friday.

The roster of two-time World Clubs Cup champion Bimeh Razi bolsters six Olympic and world medalists. Russian Olympic and world medalists who will be completing for Bimeh Razi include Olympic and World champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS), Rio Olympics runner-up Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS), and 2014 world champion and silver medalist Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS). 

Also wrestling for the tournament favorite, Bimeh Razi will be 2016 Olympic silver medalist Komeil GHASEMI (IRI), three-time world medal winner Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI), and two-time world medalist Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI).  

Defending championships, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will send another potential title team to Iran to defend last year’s championship. In last years narrow match, TMWC beat Bimeh Razi in Ukraine to win World Clubs Cup title.

In addition to 2016 Olympics and 2017 world champion Kyler Snyder, other world medalists in the Titan Mercury line-up include Thomas Gilman, Franklin Gomez, and Nick Gwiazdowski. 

Another Iranian team, Easy Pipe Kashan has signed contracts with Georgian stars Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO). Also wrestling for Easy Pipe Kashan is 2015 world bronze medal Alireza KARIMI (IRI) and Russian Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS). 

The third Iranian team, Setaregan Sari is lined with three world champions from Russia and Azerbaijan. Accompaning the team will be 2017 world champion Haji ALIEV, 2015 world champion Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV and 2016 world gold medal winner Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS).

The event will be the first test for these champions to compete with the new weigh-in rules and the 10 weight categories.

Predictable roster of the teams before weigh-in for Freestyle World Clubs Cup:

Bimeh Razi (Iran)
57kg- Younes SARMASTI (IRI)
61kg- Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI) – Iman SADEGHI (IRI)
65kg- Meysam NASIRI – Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMAD (IRI)
70kg- Hamed RASHIDI (IRI)
74kg- Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI)
79kg- Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS)
86kg- Mohammad Javad EBRANHIMI – Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
92kg- Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
97kg- Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)
125kg- Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Yadollah MOHEBI

Titan Mercury (USA)
57kg- Thomas GILMAN (USA)
61kg- Alan WATERS (USA)
65kg- Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) - B.J. FUTRELL (USA) 
70kg- Nazariy KULCHYTSKYY (USA)
74kg- Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA)
79kg- Kyle DAKE (USA)
86kg- David TAYLOR (USA)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Kyler SNYDER (USA)
125kg- Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)

Easy Pipe Kashan (Iran)
57kg- Reza ATARI (IRI)
61kg- Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) 
65kg- Mehran NASIRI (IRI) – Farzad Amouzad KHALILI
70kg- Mohammad NADERI (IRI) – Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR
74kg- Saeid DADASHPOUR (IRI) – Hossein ELYASI (IRI)
79kg- Reza AFZALI (IRI) 
86kg- Alireza KARIMI (IRI)
92kg- Hossein SHAHBAZI (IRI) – Arashk MOHEBBI (IRI) 
97kg- Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) 
125kg- Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

Georgia Club
57kg- Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) 
61kg- Otari GOGAVA (GEO) – Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
65kg- Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) – Nika BUSHELASHVILI
70kg- Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
74kg- Giorgi LOBJANIDZE (GEO)
79kg- Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI 
86kg- Zaur BERADZE (GEO)
92kg- Saba CHIKLADZE 
97kg- Zurabi AKHOBDZE
125kg- Levani GOGRICHIANI (GEO)

Setaregan Sari (Iran)
57kg- Nader HAJAGHANIA (IRI) 
61kg- Mohammad RAMEZANPOUR – Mohammad NAMJOUMOTLAGH
65kg- Haji ALIEV (AZE) - Hassan MORADGHOLI 
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) - Sajad ZABIHI (IRI) 
74kg-Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV 
79kg-Omid HASANTABAR
86kg- Esmaeil MAHMOUDI 
92kg- Abazar ESLAMI  – Seyed Mohammad SADATI (IRI)
97kg- Esmaeil NEJATIAN (IRI)
125kg- Jaber SADEGHZADEH (IRI)

India Club
57kg- Amit KUMAR (IND) 
61kg- Ravinder (IND)
65kg- Sonu (IND)
70kg- Vinod KUMAR (IND)
74kg- Ver Dev GULIA (IND) 
79kg- Jitender (IND)
86kg- Pawan Kumar (IND)
92kg- Somveer (IND)
97kg- Viky (IND)
125kg- Pushpender Singh (IND)

Mongolian Club
57kg- TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbakrakh MGL) 
61kg- BATCHULUUN Basaniam (MGL) 
65kg- TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (MGL) 
70kg- LUTBAYAR Batbayar
74kg- BOLDKHUU Batsukh (MGL) 
79kg- TBD
86kg- GANBATAAR Gankhuyag
92kg-  TBD
97kg- TUMURBAT Mungushagai (MGL)  
125kg- MUNKHTUR Lkhagvegerel (MGL)

Hungary Club
57kg- Tamas ROMAN (HUN)
61kg- Jozsef MOLNAR 
65kg- TBD
70kg- Norbert LUKACS (HUN) 
74kg- Zsombor GULYAS (HUN)
79kg- Botond LUKACS (HUN)
86kg- Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Balazs JUHASZ (HUN)
125kg- Mihaly NAGY (HUN) 

Kazakhstan Club
57kg- Gulomjon ABDULLAYEV – Zhavokhir IRUSTAYEV
61kg- Assylkhan KARIPBEKOV
65kg- Sultan BEISOV (KAZ)
70kg- Dauren ZHUMAZAZYYEV – Yerlan TOLEBAY
74kg- Tsotne BARAMIDZE (KAZ) – Muhamedsultan KOPBAYEV
79kg- Adam HASIEV
86kg- Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)
92kg- Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
97kg- Akhmed BATAEV (RUS) 
125kg- Rassul KHATAYEV

Kirgizstan Club
57kg- Nurlat TAKIROV 
61kg-Zhainak TURGUNBAEV (KGZ)
65kg- Edil KADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) 70kg- Adilet MAMATAEV (KGZ)
74kg- Atai IZABEKOV (KGZ)
79kg- TBD
86kg- Dinislambek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ)
92kg- TBD
97kg- Kantoro TALANBEK UULU (KGZ)
125kg- Emil ASHYRALIEV (KGZ)

Canada Club
57kg- Trevor BANKS (CAN)
61kg- Steven TAKAHASHI (CAN)
65kg- Vicent DE MARINIS
70kg- TBD
74kg- Ahmed SHAMIYA (CAN)
79kg- Guseyn RUSLANZADA (CAN)
86kg- Alexander MOORE (CAN)
92kg- Jordan STEEN (CAN)
97kg- Frederick CHOQUETTE (CAN)
125kg- Korey JARIVS (CAN)

Bulgaria Club
57kg- TBD
61kg- Strahil PARALOV 
65kg- Boycho BOYCHEV (BUL)
70kg- Miroslav HRISTOV (BUL)
74kg- Persiyan MIHOV (BUL)
79kg- Hasan MOLLA (BUL)
86kg- Petar SAVAKOV
92kg- Georgi DIMITROV (BUL) 
97kg- Dimitar KARAIVANOV
125kg- Mert EMIN

 

 

2026 Muhamet Malo

Lolua Bumps to 60kg, Komarov Among World Champs Returning in Tirana

Monday, February 23, 2026 - 19:19 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 23) -- Last year, Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) was in Tirana, making his senior international debut. He went on to win the 55kg silver medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event.

What followed was an incredible 2025 season for Lolua in which he became a world champion in Zagreb. He also won bronze medals at the European Championships, and U20 World and European Championships.

FREESTYLE PREVIEW | MUHAMET MALO ENTRIES | WATCH LIVE

The world champion at 55kg is returning to Tirana, making his Olympic weight debut at 60kg later this week at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, which begins February 25.

While he got two wins last year to reach the final, where he lost to Emre MUTLU (TUR), Lolua will need to spend more time on the mat if he wants to wrestle for the gold medal.

The field at 60kg is no pushover, with several experienced contenders entered.

The 18-year-old will face the likes of European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), former U20 world champion Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), former U17 world champion SURAJ (IND) and compatriot Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO).

The Georgian has the par terre offense to win, as he showed in Zagreb. He tricked Payam AHMADI (IRI) in the final with two different par terre turns. However, he also keeps his matches tight. At the World Championships, he won only one of his four bouts by a margin of two points or more.

Mammadli presents his first major tactical test. He was in red-hot form in 2025 but fell off in the later half of the year. He lost his World Championships quarterfinal to Alisher GANIEV (UZB), who also defeated him at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2025.

Guluzade and Tibilov pose a different challenge. The latter is an experienced campaigner, who often shuns big-move wrestling for tactical wins. Guluzade will bring raw energy, trying to prove his mettle before the European Championships.

Suraj, who defeated Victor CIOBANU (MDA), constantly works on his opponents for six minutes, which can put anyone's conditioning to the test.

Like at 60kg, Georgia and Azerbaijan have multiple wrestlers in other weight classes as well. Many other nations are also increasingly focusing on selecting their teams via results at Ranking Series events.

At 67kg, Georgia has Zagreb Open champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) and European bronze medalist Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) going against each other. Khetsuriani has not wrestled since finishing 22nd at the World Championships in September.

The challenges will not be limited. U20 world champion Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) will make his senior debut in Tirana. He has impressed with his dominant performances in 2024 when he won the U20 gold. In 2025, he finished with a silver, losing a close final.

A minefield at 87kg will see the return of world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB). He will face top wrestlers from Hungary, Azerbaijan, UWW wrestlers and Kazakhstan.

Komarov rose to the occasion at the World Championships in Zagreb with an incredible run, winning gold over Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHMADI (IRI). He will look to reset in Tirana.

World bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) has constantly improved and a good performance in Tirana at 87kg will do him a world of good. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Islam ALIEV (UWW) and Alan OSTAEV (UWW) are a trio of UWW wrestlers in the field. Alirzaev and Ostaev have wins over Komarov in the past.

Islam ABBASOV (AZE) and Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) are leading the challenge for Azerbaijan while Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won gold at the Zagreb Open, will be another top wrestler.

Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ) and Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) are two Kazakhstan wrestlers looking to make a mark as well.

A similar story will play out at 97kg with world silver medalist Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) eyeing his second Ranking Series gold medal. Standing in his way are Zagreb Open champion Alex SZOKE (HUN), world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), Paris bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), former world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE).

Azerbaijan is sending three wrestlers at 97kg in hopes of finalizing its European lineup with world bronze medalists Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) and Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), and Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

At 77kg, Hungary is once again pitting Robert FRITSCH (HUN) against Zoltan LEVAI (HUN). In Zagreb, Levai won silver while Fritsch won bronze as both lost to Ali OKSOU (IRI).

Iran, which has its own struggles at this weight class, has also gone with two wrestlers, Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) and Amir ABDI (IRI).

U23 world champion Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) is returning to action, hoping to win his first Ranking Series gold medal. Gutu has given legendary performances at the age-group level but is yet to win a medal at the senior World or European Championships.

Imran ALIEV (UWW), Evgenii BAIDUSOV (UWW) and Sergei STEPANOV (UWW) will also be involved at 77kg as they try to confirm their spot for the European Championships.

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) defeated Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 3-1, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Olympic rematch at 82kg

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) rocked his neighbouring country Kyrgyzstan at the Paris Olympic when he defeated the favorite and world champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ). Kyrgyzstan was hoping that Makhmudov would create history by becoming the country's first-ever Olympic champion.

Both have gradually returned to action. In Tirana, both are entered at 82kg and it won't be a surprise if they clash as well. However, Makhmudov would like to avenge that Paris loss.

Also at 82kg are Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) and comeback man and former world medalist Viktor NEMES (SRB).

Iran is bringing a small squad in Tirana but it made sure to bring Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), perhaps the best heavyweight Greco wrestler in the world. The 130kg gold will, most likely, be his.