Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series: World champs highlight strong WW field

Friday, February 17, 2023 - 15:44 By Taylor GREGORIO

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (February 17) -- The second Ranking Series event, the Ibrahim Moustafa, is days away. The event will take place February 23-26 in Alexandria, Egypt.

The results will not only give ranking points to the wrestlers, but they will also be crucial in determining the four seeds for the upcoming continental championships. Ibrahim Moustafa will be the second event in which UWW will award prize money and a two-kilogram weight tolerance will be allowed in each weight class.

Like in Zagreb, this event will also feature a strong women's field with 133 wrestlers including nine world champions and 34 World Championships medalists.

All the action from Egypt starts next Thursday and can be followed live on uww.org or on the UWW app.

Below are five storylines to keep an eye on next weekend.

Parrish, Nichita among 2022 world medalists competing

Alexandria will welcome eight 2022 World medalists, counting two gold medalists, two silver medalists and four bronze medalists.

Highlighting this group are world champions Domnique PARRISH (USA) and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA). Competing at 53kg, Parrish secured the title on her senior World Championships debut in September. That same week, Nichita became just the second Moldovan woman to win a senior world title, when she topped the 59kg podium.

A pair of reigning silver medalists, Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and Grace BULLEN (NOR), will wrestle in the same bracket next week. Miracle is a two-time runner-up, securing silver at 62kg in 2021 and 2022. Bullen, who won her first senior medal last year at 59kg, has decided to bump up to 62kg.

The host country will cheer for Samar HAMZA (EGY) as the 2022 silver medalist is entered at 76kg and will be one of the favorites to claim the gold at home.

The 2022 bronze medalists expected to compete are Mengyu XIE (CHN) at 55kg, Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) at 62kg and Epp MAE (EST) at 76kg

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) is the only two-time world champion in the field. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Nine past world champions in the field

Nine women head into Alexandria with gold hardware to their names. Two weight classes 59kg and 62kg -- feature multiple world champs.

Wrestling at 59kg is 2022 champion Anastasia Nichita and 2014 winner Yuliia TKACH (UKR), while the 62 kg competitors include two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), 2021 champion at 59kg Bilyana Dudova and 2018 champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL).

In addition to Nichita, there is one other reigning gold medalist, Dom Parrish, who will compete at 53kg. The other three are 2019 champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), 2018 champion Ningning RONG (CHN) and 2021 champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). Winchester will wrestle at 55kg with Rong at 57kg and Zhumanazarova at 68kg.

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) is one of the three world champions at 62kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

World champs highlight stacked 62kg bracket

The 62kg weight class has a ton of star power coming into the second Ranking Series event with three past world champions and six other past world medalists. Aisuluu Aisuluu is the only two-time world champion in the entire women’s field. She earned titles in 2019 and 2021. Also winning a world gold in 2021 was Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), who claimed her title at 59kg. She will be competing at 62kg next week. The final world champ in this weight is 2018 winner Taybe Yusein. All three world champs also have other medal-winning performances, and between the three of them, they combine for four golds, four silvers, three bronzes and two Olympic medals.

Other medalists registered include silver medalists Kayla Miracle, who has earned two, Jia LONG (CHN), Grace Bullen and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) and bronze winners Xiaojuan LUO (CHN) and Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR).

Skylar GROTE (USA) is coming off a gold medal win in the first Ranking Series event. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Seven finalists from first Ranking Series

Last month, the UWW Ranking Series kicked off in Zagreb, Croatia. Seven finalists from the Zagreb Open are expected to compete in Alexandria, including two champions and five runners-up.

Looking for their second Ranking Series gold of the season are Anastasia Nichita at 59kg and Skylar GROTE (USA) at 76kg. Nichita won gold at the 2022 senior World Championships and also has a 2018 U20 gold medal. Additionally, Nichita won last year’s Yasar Dogu as part of the 2022 Ranking Series. Grote, who won the Zagreb Open at 72kg, is bumping up to 76 kg for action in Egypt. Overall, she has competed in three Ranking Series events and medaled in all three. In addition to gold last month, she collected a gold and bronze medal last season.

Silver medalists from the Zagreb Open registered to compete in Egypt include Jiang ZHU (CHN) at 50kg, Yongxin FENG (CHN) at 57kg, Bullen at 62kg and Dalma CANEVA (ITA) at 72kg.

Samar HAMZA (EGY) will lead the host nation's charge in Alexandria. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Egypt to host first Ranking Series event

Next week will mark Egypt’s first time hosting a Ranking Series tournament. Egypt has held the African Championships and Arab Championships in the past. The host country will have great representation in the women’s field with 16 athletes registered. Among them is multiple-time World Championships medalist Samar Hamza at 76kg, who is the first and only Egyptian woman to win a world medal at the senior level. She is joined by two-time age-group world medalist Nada MOHAMED (EGY) at 50kg and several senior African Championships medalists, including Shaimaa MOHAMED (EGY), Louji YASSIN (EGY), Farah HUSSEIN (EGY), Mentalla BADRAN (EGY), Eman MOHAMED (EGY) and Mona AHMED (EGY).

#WrestleZagreb

Valencia stuns Ghasempour in semis; Uguev returns to final

Saturday, September 13, 2025 - 21:05 By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 13) -- It was supposed to be the anointing of Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) as the successor to legendary compatriot Hassan YAZDANI at freestyle 86kg. Instead it turned out to be the introduction of Zahid VALENCIA (USA) as a new force on the scene.

In a battle between wrestlers who moved down this year from 92kg, Valencia put on a stunning display of disciplined wrestling to knock off Ghasempour 7-0 in the semifinals on Saturday, the opening day of the World Championships in Zagreb.

"I was prepared," Valencia said. "I felt comfortable knowing I did everything I could to prepare for this World Championships.

"If I wrestle like that, I'm the best in the world. No one can score like me. No one could shut out defense like me. I could score from anywhere. So I'm very confident in myself."

Iran, along with Japan, still put two wrestlers into Sunday's finals of the four weight classes in action, while it took a former Olympic champion to finally end the amazing run of an American high schooler who stole the show during the morning session.

Zahid VALENCIA (USA) defeated Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) 7-0 in the 86kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Ghasempour had long been biding his time at 92kg, winning back-to-back world titles at that weight in 2021 and 2022 while Yazdani dominated 86kg in a fierce rivalry with David TAYLOR (USA). With Yazdani sidelined following his injury-hit loss in the Paris Olympic final, Ghasempour was ready to seize the chance to shine at the Olympic weight.

Not so fast, said Valencia, who had a world bronze at 92kg from 2023 to his credit. Both wrestlers prepped for Zagreb with victories at 86kg at the Ranking Series events this year, Khasempour in Tirana and Valencia in Zagreb.

Back in the same Arena Zagreb on Saturday, Valencia earned an activity point before chalking up two takedowns to take a 5-0 lead into the break. He added two stepouts in the second period while twice wiggling out of low singles by the Iranian to clinch the victory.

"I'm out there moving fake and snap, and there's just no time for my opponents to grab a hold of me taken in a shot," Valencia said. "And even when they do, it's one thing getting in, it's another thing finishing. I don't do anything fancy, just stop the shot and move on to the next thing."

Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) reached the 86kg final after beating Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the final, Valencia will face Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), who rallied to a 17-7 victory over Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) in the other semifinal.

Ishiguro, an 2023 Asian bronze medalist, fell behind 7-1 early on when he got caught in a lace lock. After chipping away at the lead with a pair of takedowns, he wrapped up the ankles and, with Magamadov apparently injuring a knee as he tried to resist, reeled off six rolls to end the match and make his first global final since winning the world U20 title in 2018.

Valencia and Ishiguro have met before, with the Japanese scoring an 11-0 victory in the semifinals of the 2023 Zagreb Open. But, Valencia said, that was then and this is now.

"I'm like, I don't even remember wrestling him," he said. "I know probably I've heard it from you guys that I lost, so I'm just going out there and wrestle how I've been wrestling. I just, I don't think anyone could stop me."

Zavur UGUEV (UWW) scores two points against Jaxen FORREST (USA) in the 61kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 61kg, it was experience over a very determined youth when Tokyo Olympic 57kg champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW) forged a 10-3 victory over teen phenom Jax FORREST (USA) to earn a shot at a third career world title.

The 30-year-old Uguev used his wits to defend against everything the long-limbed high schooler threw at him, particularly when he pulled away with an eight-point second period.

Uguev gained the kind of 2-point exposures that come with international experience, once putting Forrest onto his back when the American got too high as he tried to go up and over on a counter. Another time, he masterfully caught the 18-year-old in a cradle.

"Many people were betting on the American -- he’s young, promising," Uguev said. "As they say, we’re already battle-tested wolves, we can feel the mat, we wrestle with experience. But I wish him good luck, he’s just at the beginning of his journey."

Uguev, who won back-to-back world golds at 57kg in 2018 and 2019 but finished fifth at the last two World Championships, was relieved to be back in a world final.

"I’m very happy, I’ve been working toward this medal, toward this World Championships, for a long time," Uguev said. "Tomorrow I’ll do everything possible to take the gold medal at this championships."

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In Sunday's final, Uguev will face Asian bronze medalist Ahmad JAVAN (IRI), who pulled a rabbit out of the hat by scoring a takedown with :03 left to stun Kum Hyok KIM (PRK) 3-2 in the second semifinal.

After giving up a stepout in the first period, Kim came back with a double-leg takedown to head into the break up 2-1. In the second period, Javan got Kim's leg up in the air, but was unable to finish the move and Kim continually fended off any further attempts.

But with the time ticking down, Javan snapped Kim down and spun behind for the winning takedown, setting off a roar of delight from the raucous Iranian supporters.

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) reached the final at 125kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran earned a second spot in the finals when two-time Olympic medalist Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) outclassed Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 7-3 at 125kg in the final bout of the evening, giving him a chance to add to his world titles from 2021 and 2023.

It was the third time Zare has beaten Sharipov in two years, most recently a 3-0 triumph in the quarterfinals at the Tirana Ranking Series tourney in February.

In the final, Zare will take on European champion Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE), who scored an activity point in the first period and a stepout in the second to defeat Robert BARAN (POL) 2-0.

Returning silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), red, reached the 70kg final for a second year in a row. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 70kg, a rematch of the final at last year's Non-Olympic World Championships was spoiled when Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) knocked off defending champion Nurkosha KAIPANOV (KAZ) 5-2, setting up an all-Asian final with silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN).

Tumur Ochir, a 2021 world bronze medalist at 65kg, took a 2-0 lead in the first period with an activity point and a stepout, only to fall behind on criteria when Kaipanov opened the second period with a takedown. But the Mongolian went on the attack and came away with a stepout and takedown to complete a well-earned victory.

Earlier, Aoyagi repeated his victory in the final of the Budapest Ranking Series tournament over Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), right down to the final score of 8-0 thanks to a superfluous challenge at the end.

Aoyagi was leading 3-0 and well on the way to victory when Andreasyan tried to get behind and the Japanese locked his arms and dropped backwards for a 4-point throw. The Armenian side challenged, but to no avail.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

61kg (26 entries)
SEMIFINAL - Zavur UGUEV (UWW) df. Jax FORREST (USA), 10-3
SEMIFINAL - Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Kum Hyok KIM (PRK), 3-2

70kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 8-0
SEMIFINAL - Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. Nurkosha KAIPANOV (KAZ), 5-2

86kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL - Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 7-0
SEMIFINAL - Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) by TF, 17-7, 3:50

125kg (27 entries)
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) df Robert BARAN (POL), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 7-3

Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series: World champs highlight strong WW field

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Valencia stuns Ghasempour in semis; Uguev returns to final