#WrestleAlmaty

Bolat Turlykhanov Cup day three finals set

Saturday, June 4, 2022 - 04:43 By Vinay Siwach

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 4) -- Freestyle begins at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series event in Almaty along with the remaining six weight classes of women's wrestling.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

13:00: The finals for the night.

WW 50kg: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) vs Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)
WW 53kg: Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) vs Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
FS 97kg: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) vs Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK)
WW 55kg: Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) vs Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)
WW 59kg: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs Sarita MOR (IND)
FS 125kg: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) vs Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
WW 65kg: Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) vs MANISHA (IND)
WW 72kg: BIPASHA (IND) vs Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)

12:50: At 97kg, Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) and Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) fighting for a spot in the semifinal. Tcakulov with a quick takedown and two exposures. He then gets a cradle and secures the fall. Tcakulov is a U23 World silver medalist and even a senior Russian champion at 92kg. He switched to Slovakia and won a bronze at the European Championships this year.

12:45: Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) gave up four points in the first period against Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) but she works her way back to pick a fall at 53kg and enter the final.

12:30: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) worked his way to a big win over Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB). He did give up two takedowns but continued working with pressure and won 15-4.

12:20: World champion Amir ZARE (IRI) against world bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL). Slow start to the bout as Munkhtur is called passive. Zare leads 1-0. Munkhtur is called for a second passive in the second period. He trails 2-0 now. Zare tries to get his takedown but only manages a stepout. He leads 3-0 and wins with the same scoreline.

12:00: We are beginning with the semifinals in a short while. Big matches all around.

11:45: World bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) had a tough time navigating Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) at 125kg. He led 3-0 but Yergali scored a takedown and almost had another point for the win. But Munkhtur holds on.

11:30: Sarita MOR (IND) looks in top form. She wins 11-0 against Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) to book her spot in the semifinals at 59kg. She will be looking to move on from her bronze medal finish at the Asian Championships

11:25: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ) were involved in a fierce battle. Firouzpour is moving up to 97kg from 92kg for the first time. Aitbekov had a 3-1 lead but Firouzpour manages to crawl back and win 8-3. Not the perfect bout for him but he will take it.

11:10: Tokyo Olympian Elis MANALOVA (AZE) is in top form here. She has leg laced her way to the semifinals. She first defeated MANISHA (IND) and then Dinora RUSTAMOVA (UZB) in the same fashion

11:00: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) begins her quest at the home Ranking Series event with a 10-0 win against Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) at 72kg.

10:50: Amir ZARE (IRI) led 6-0 but Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) comes up with a takedown and then a four-point move to tie it 6-6. A reversal and takedown gave Zare a 9-7 win.

10:30: Welcome to the third day of the Ranking Series here in Almaty. With a sudden change of weather, it's windy and rainy here. 

#WrestleZagreb

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final

Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 16:24 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 14) -- For five minutes and 50 seconds in both the 74kg semifinals, there was little indication that the results will change. But 10 seconds were enough for Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) to change the outcome.

Valiev was down 4-2 against Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) but managed to elevate the latter's leg from an attack before tripping him on the edge for a two-point takedown, taking a 4-4 criteria lead with three seconds remaining.

Sidakov tried a desperate attack but gave up another takedown even in that short time as Valiev reached his first-ever World Championships final on debut in Zagreb, Croatia.

Takahashi was down 4-1 against Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but the Japanese scored a takedown and turned Salkazanov through a gut-wrench to lead 5-4. He still had 6 seconds to defend and he managed to do it with ease. Slovakia challenged for fleeing from Takahashi but that was lost which added an additional point to make it 6-4.

Valiev and Takahashi, both with clutch wins, will now clash in the 74kg final for the world title on Monday.

Three other weight classes were also in action on Sunday and the United States was the only country to put two wrestlers in the finals -- Levi HAINES (USA) at 79kg and Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg.

Haines, who stunned world champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, scored a controlled 4-1 victory over Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) in the semifinals. Olonbayar got the first point via passivity of Haines but the U.S. wrestler scored a counter exposure for two points and take a 2-1 lead.

He scored a ankle pick for another two-point takedown and defended his 4-1 lead for the win and reach the final, a surprise in a tough 79kg bracket.

On Monday, he will try to stop Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) from becoming Greece's first-ever wrestling world champion in history. The European champion from Greece showed some of the most high-paced wrestling in the semifinal against world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) to win 8-3.

Nokhodi, was often stood squared-up, had no answered to Kougioumtsidis' constant attacks as the Greece wrestlers led 6-3 at the break. He scored a single-leg takedown in the second period and won 8-3.

Hidlay, who has switched levels in his career this year, reached the final at 92kg after destroying world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4, in the semifinals.

Nurmagomedov was in the match when the score was 5-4 with 2:23 left but Hidlay switch gears since, scoring a go-behind, a feet-to-back four-pointer and a takedown to finish with a technical superiority win.

He will face Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Gadzhimagomedov managed to hold off Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) for an 11-6. Firouzpour, who had multiple age-group world titles, kept shooting for Gadzhimagomedov's legs but the UWW wrestler kept countering those attack with lift exposures.

Gadzhimagomedov then sealed the win with stepout, handing him a 9-6 lead and a takedown finishing the match 11-6.

Harutyunyan pinned after Lee heroics

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) undoubtedly had the most impressive win of the morning session when he defeated Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

The win put Harutyunyan as the favorite to advance to the final at 57kg. However, Asian champion Chongsong HAN (PRK) had different ideas. He hit a lateral drop on Harutyunyan in the semifinals and secured a fall to enter the final. Han is the first Freestyle wrestler from the DPR Korea to enter the final in 11 years.

Han will now try to become a world champion when he takes on Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in the 57kg final after the Kyrgyz wrestler took it to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), winning 8-0.

Abdullaev seemed to have burnt out from the earlier matches and had little fight left in him as Almaz Uulu scored points at his will in the semifinals including four stepouts.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) vs. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)

SF 1: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 8-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 6-4
SF 2: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 8-3
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) vs. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW)

SF 1: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4
SF 2:  Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 9-6