#WrestleBudapest

Live Blog: #WrestleBudapest European Championships Day 5

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (April 1) -- The European Championships move into the fifth day with some Greco-Roman. Five weight classes will see wrestlers take the mat.

Four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR), Oslo world champ Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB), Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) are some of the big names that are competing Friday.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:20: Final bout of the morning session coming up as Per OLOFSSON (SWE) takes on Ciro RUSSO (ITA) in the 77kg quarterfinal. Olofsson with a huge four and he is looking for the pin. Russo tries hard but pin is confirmed.

14:10: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) has beaten Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) once again. A total mental block from the Serbian world champ in the final minute as Abbasov manages to defend his lead and win 5-3

14:08: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) beats Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 6-5 to reach the semifinal at 77kg. Huge win for Amoyan

14:03: Abbasov scores from par terre but Datunashvili gets the throw as well. It's 5-3 with Datunashvili's lead. Challenge from Abbasov. The first two from Abbasov using a head pinch are confirmed. And it's a leg foul from Datunashvili. 5-1 for Abbasov.

14:02: Datunashvili is leading 1-1 against Abbasov with 1:40 remaining in the bout. He is called passive for the second time and Abbasov now has the chance to score for the win

14:00: World champ Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is wrestling silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) on Mat C. He gets the first passivity point and then gets the lock over Suleymanov to score four points. 

13:55: Zurabi Datunashvili and Islam Abbasov are wrestling on Mat A in the 87kg quarterfinals. Abbasov stunned world champ Datunashvili in Istanbul in February in the final.

13:50: Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) with the first five of the day and he finishes his bout against Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) 8-0

13:45: That's a victory by technical superiority for Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) over Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 55kg and he books his place in the 55kg semifinals.

13:36: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) led 1-1 against Etienne KINSINGER (GER) with a minute remaining but was called passive. Kinsinger gets the turn from par terre to beat Ciobanu 3-1

13:30: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) and Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) have setup the semifinal at 130kg. A month ago, Kandelaki had pinned Kayaalp at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul.

13:18: Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) is wrestling Franz RICHTER (GER) at 130kg. Richter led 2-1 at the break and then added a takedown in the second period to upset Kajaia in the quarterfinals

13:11: Nemes gets another chance as Levai is called passive but he can't score again. Levai holds on for a 3-1 win at 77kg.

13:10: Viktor NEMES (SRB) and Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) are involved in an intense battle. Nemes got the 1-0 lead after the passivity against Levai. But he is called passive in the second period and Levai leads 1-1. He gets the gut-wrench from par terre to make it 3-1

12:55: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is looking formidable at 77kg. He wins his second bout 5-1 over Denis HORVATH (SVK) to move into the quarterfinal

12:46: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) gets the point for Ilie COJOCARI (ROU) passivity. He then gets the four from par terre to lead 5-0. He adds two more takedowns and wins 9-0 

12:45: Datunashvili is called passive again. But no points as this is the third passivity. Szilvassy has a chance to take the lead. But he fails to that. Datunashvili has 35 seconds to defend for the win. Szilvassy drops the bout 1-1

12:40: Datunashvili is called passive first but Szilvassy cannot score any points from par terre. The Hungarian leads 1-0 at the break. Szilvassy gets called passive and it's 1-1 with Datunashvili leading on criteria.

12:35: World champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) is coming up on Mat A for his opening round bout against former U23 world champion Erik SZILVASSY (HUN).

12:30: Can Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) win the gold he missed at the U23 Europeans? He begins with a 9-0 win over Damian VON EUW (SUI) at 87kg

12:15: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) makes his 77kg debut after winning the world gold at 72kg with a technical superiority win over Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU) in the opening round

11:55: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with a huge technical superiority win over Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB). Can the 60kg world champion become a European champ at 63kg?

11:50: What a great start to the day. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) moves on with a 10-0 win over Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) does the same with a 9-0 win over Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU).

11:30: Welcome to day five of the European Championships. Greco-Roman wrestling is beginning and the stands are already full here

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Munkhtur leads Mongolian charge at Ulaanbaatar Open

By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (June 1) -- Sunday saw the biggest crowd at the Buyant Ukhaa Sports Complex during the four-day Ulaanbaatar Open 2025.

Backed by vocal fans and some top-tier technical wrestling, the host country won three gold medals on the final day of the tournament.

Apart from two-time world medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), Asian bronze medalist Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) and veteran Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) won gold medals.

Paris Olympian Munkhtur was the most assured of the lot, winning the 125kg gold medal with rather ease. In a Nelson bracket, Munkhtur was in Group A with Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW) and Narantulga DARMAABAZAR (MGL). He won his first bout against Khramiankou 9-0 before beating Darmaabazar 6-2.

In the semifinals, Munkhtur faced another Mongolian, Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL), and won 5-1 to set up the final against Khramiankou who managed to win his semifinal as well.

But the final was a similar story as the group match as Munkhtur won 5-0, scoring two takedowns in the match and captured the third gold medal of the evening for Mongolia.

Earlier, Asian Championships silver medalist Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) posted a thrilling 6-3 win over Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX), 6-3, escaping a gut-wrench attempt from Bravo Young in last 10 seconds to score two points.

Batkhuyag led 2-0 but Bravo Young scored a takedown and tried to turn the Mongolian, who escaped and got a point to lead 3-2 and then turned the Mexican to make it 5-2. A reversal gave Bravo Young another point but Mexico challenged the scoring.

As the challenge was lost, Batkhuyag won 6-3 and celebrated winning his first Ranking Series gold.

Bravo Young had defeated AMAN (IND) in the semifinals earlier, a thrilling 14-11 win which was ultimately called a pin. Aman led 10-6 when Bravo Young hit a crafty move to score four points and make it 11-10. He scored a takedown via single leg and a turn in the final 10 seconds to win the semifinal. 

Soon after, 32-year-old Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) added another gold by beating Asian Championships silver medalist UDIT (IND), 6-4, in the 61kg final.

Tumenbileg faked a leg attack and scored a takedown before turning Udit twice to lead 6-0. As Udit tried making a comeback for five minutes, he could only manage four points and lost the final.

Iran won two gold medals as well as Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) at 79kg and Ahmad BAZRI (IRI) claimed the gold medal at 97kg. 

Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) also took a big step at 65kg by winning the gold medal after blanking Dzhambulat KIZINOV (UWW), 6-0 in the final.

Konstantin KAPRYNOV (UWW), the silver medalist at Yarygin tournament, followed his win over Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW) by winning the gold medal at 70kg. He defeated Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI), 6-0, in the gold medal bout.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) df. Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX), 6-3

BRONZE: Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL) df. RAHUL (IND), 9-7
BRONZE: AMAN (IND) df. Bekir KESER (TUR), 12-2

61kg
GOLD: Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) df. UDIT (IND), 6-4

BRONZE: Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ) df. Artem GOBAEV (UWW), via fall
BRONZE: Anzor MAZHIDOV (UWW) Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)

65kg
GOLD: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Dzhambulat KIZINOV (UWW), 6-0

BRONZE: Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) df. Turbayar DAVAANYAM (MGL), 12-2
BRONZE: Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) df. Junsik YUN (KOR), 10-5

70kg
GOLD: Konstantin KAPRYNOV (UWW) df. Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI), 6-0

BRONZE: Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI), 7-5
BRONZE: Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW) df. Usukhbayar BAATARKHUU (MGL), 16-6

79kg
GOLD: Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) df. Magomet EVLOEV (TJK), 4-0

BRONZE: AMIT (IND) df. Dalaitseren JAVKHLANKHUU (MGL), via fall (14-14)

97kg
GOLD: Ahmad BAZRI (IRI) df. Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL), 8-0

BRONZE: Resul GUNE (TUR) df. Irbeg TAVGAZOV (UWW), 4-2 
BRONZE: VICKY (IND) df. Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW), 5-0

125kg
GOLD: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW), 5-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL), 11-1