#WrestleCoralville

Iran announces freestyle World Cup roster

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 - 13:12 By Gary Abbott

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CORALVILLE, Iowa (November 22) -- Iran’s lineup for the Freestyle World Cup has been released.

The Freestyle and Women’s Wrestling World Cup will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, December 10-11. It is the first time that freestyle and women’s wrestling will be held together side-by-side at the World Cup.

The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, conducted by United World Wrestling. The top five teams in freestyle and the top five teams in women’s wrestling from the 2022 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September have confirmed their participation. There is also an All-World Team in each discipline, featuring the top available athletes from the World Championships in each weight class that were not from a nation that qualified for the World Cup.

The Iran World Cup team will feature five senior world medalists, as well as seven others who have won world medals at the age-group levels.

The team is led by two-time world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR at 97kg. Ghasempour won world titles in 2021 and 2022 and also won U23 world titles in 2018 and 2019.

2022 World champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI will wrestle at 65kg. He has also won three age-group world titles, with a U20 title in 2021 and U17 world titles in 2018 and 2019.

Three-time world medalist Alireza KARIMI is competing at 86kg. Karimi won a 2019 World silver medal, as well as claimed world bronze medals in 2015 and 2018. He was also a 2011 U17 World silver medalist.

Two-time world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI will wrestle at 79kg. Nokhodi lost in the 2021 and 2022 World finals to Jordan BURROUGHS (USA). He was also a 2019 U20 world silver medalist and a 2017 U17 world bronze medalist.

The other senior world medalist on the roster is 2021 World silver medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI at 70kg. He was also a 2015 U17 world silver medalist.

Other athletes on the Iran roster who have won age-group world medals include Armin HABIBZADEH (61kg), Aliakbar FAZLIKHALILI (70kg), Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOUR (74kg), Ali SAVADKOUHI (79kg), Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (92kg), Amirali AZARPIRA (97kg) and Amirreza VALADI (125kg).

Iran, which placed second at the 2022 World Championships in freestyle, will be joined in the World Cup by the first-place United States, third-place Japan, fourth-place Mongolia and fifth-place Georgia, in addition to the All-World Team.

The rosters of the World Cup teams for the other nations have now all been announced by USA Wrestling.

Ticket packages for the 2022 Freestyle and Women’s Wrestling World Cup are currently on sale. The seating capacity for Xtream Arena for the World Cup will be approximately 5,300. Ticket packages include a Gold package for $275, Silver package for $200 and All-Session tickets for $90.

A special Presentation of Teams and Team USA Meet & Greet will also be held on Friday, December 9 at 6:45 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Freestyle and Women’s Wrestling World Cup tickets -> https://worldcupiowacity.com/tickets/

Iran Freestyle World Cup team:
57 kg – Reza MOMENIJOUIJADEH
61 kg – Armin HABIBZADEH
65 kg – Rahman AMOUZAD
65 kg – Mohammadreza BAGHERI
70 kg – Aliakbar FAZLIKHALILI
70 kg – Amirmohammad YAZDANI
74 kg – Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOUR
79 kg – Mohammad NOKHODI
79 kg – Ali SAVADKOUHI
86 kg – Alireza KARIMI
92 kg – Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR
97 kg – Kamran GHASEMPOUR
97 kg – Amirali AZARPIRA
125 kg – Amirreza VALADI

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 6 Freestyle Highlights

Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 08:56 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 25) -- The last five weight classes of European Championships will be in action on Saturday. Zavur UGUEV (UWW), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SV), Ibragim KADIEV (UWW), Georgios KOUGIOUMSTIDIS (GRE) are among the stars that hit the mat in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg.

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14:00: Osman GOCEN (TUR) cannot get his leg out of Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) hold in what was one of the most entertaining matches of the morning session. Kadiev led for most of the match but Gocen kept coming back and made it 4-4 with exposure points but a reversal gives Kadiev a 5-4. He then turns Gocen to extend it to 7-4. However, Gocen with a takedown with 24 seconds left to make it one-point difference. But as he shoots for an attack, Kadiev hangs on to Gocen's leg and doesn't let it go, winning the semifinal 7-6.

13:45: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) places himself in the 86kg semifinals with a big 10-0 victory over Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA). Dzhioev will face Ivars SAMUSONOK (LAT) for a place in the gold medal bout

13:35: Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) has an unbreakable defense in the world. He frustrates Timur BIZHOEV (UWW) in the 74kg semifinals and beats him 2-1. Salkazanov is chasing his fifth European title

13:25: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE ((GEO) into the semifinals at 86kg with a 5-1 victory over Joshua MORODION (GER). Gamkrelidze looks in solid form but will face a tough challenge in the semifinals in one of Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) and Osman GOCEN (TUR).

(UWW) Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (7)(AZE) Turan BAYRAMOV (9)

13:16: World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) has no answer to Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) wrestling as the Azerbaijan wrestler blanks Maisuradze 5-0 to advance to the 92kg semifinals

13:15: Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), the returning medalist at 61kg, is back into the semifinals. He sends the home crowd into a frenzy after he defeated Niklas STECHELE (GER), 6-2.

13:10: Defending champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW) hits a massive counter using a double underhook on Dzmitry SHAMELA (UWW) and then works on a 11-2 victory to enter the semifinal against Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). It will be a rematch of the final from last year which Uguev won.

13:05: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) with a takedown in the final five seconds to beat Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM) at 125kg. The defending champion was down 3-3 on criteria and then gave up a takedown to fall behind 5-3. Khachatryna tries to defend is but in no position to do it as Meshvildishvili hits a double leg outside takedown for the criteria win.

12:50: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) with late takedown in a back-and-forth match to beat Shamil MUSAEV (UWW), 6-5 at 125kg. Every time Musaev seemed to chip away, Buyukcingil came back with a takedown.

12:45: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) gives up one point against Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) but has no trouble in beating the Ukrainian 11-1 and advance to the semifinals at 61kg

12:40: World champion at 79kg Georgios KOUGIOMISTDIS (GRE) falls in the first round against Osman GOCEN (TUR), 5-3. He began well with takedown and stepout but Gocen comes back with two takedowns to take a 4-3 lead. Kougiomistdis commits a offensive foul. Greece challenge the call and but lost it to win a point to Gocen.

12:30: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) sets up a match against Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) after a 8-1 victory over Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) at 86kg. Just controlling the bout through and through for the win.

12:20: Timur BIZHOEV (UWW), trying to the coveted 74kg gold, begins with a 11-0 shutout victory over Ibragim VELIEV (BEL) and advance. 

12:15: World bronze medalist Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) is like a workhorse and slowly pile ups the points over Denys BYKOV (UKR), winning his 86kg opening bout 10-0.

12:05: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) survives a scre against Farhad NOURIKHORJESTAN (UWW) at 74kg. Bayramov fell behind 2-1 but scored a stepout to take a 2-2 criteria lead before defending it for the win.

11:30: Home-favorite Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) moves forward at 61kg after a 12-2 technical superiority win over Simone PIRODDU (ITA). He blocked an arm throw from Prioddu to score his opening points before using a 2-on-1 for snap takedown and turn to lead 6-0. Piroddu scored two exposure points from a scramble but Abakarov quickly escaped and turned him three times for the win.

11:25: Returning silver medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) works on his murderous leg-lace and beats Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), 11-0.

11:15: Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) does a perfect fireman's carry against Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR) to score four points. He then continues to turn Kerymov and comes out with an 8-2 lead from the scramble. Ormanoglu scores two more points but Kerymov wins 8-4

11:10: Big match on Mat C as Shamil MUSAEV (UWW) takes on returning silver medalist Soloman MANASHVILI (GEO) at 125kg. Musaev with a trip to open the scoring for two points before giving up a reversal. He scored a go-behind to go ahead 4-1. Manashvili cut the lead to 4-3 after exposure with a minute left in the bout. But a struggling Manashvili gives up two more go-behinds and drops his first bout 8-3

10:30: Welcome to day six of the European Championships in Tirana. After the repechage rounds, the qualifications will being in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg.