#WrestleBudapest

Must-watch storylines from Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 4) -- As the Budapest Ranking Series gets underway Thursday in the Hungary capital, a few intriguing storylines will be seen on the mats. Countries will be finalizing their Olympic line-ups, a few star wrestlers are returning to competition while others are competing for the ranking points.

Here are the top storylines that no wrestling fan should miss at the Budapest Ranking Series which will be live on uww.org using UWW+.

Iran's dilemma

A wrestle-off is set to be held by Iran in Budapest to decide on the Paris Olympic team. Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) won the spot by winning bronze at the World Championships. But Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) won the Asian Championships to lay his claim for the 67kg gold medal.

60kg will also see a wrestle-off as Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) is set to face Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) to decide who goes to the Paris Games.

Also, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) is wrestling!

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) will wrestle for the first time since winning gold medal at the Asian Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Sachiko Hotaka)

Yazdani returns

Undoubtedly Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) returning to competition is the big show in Budapest. Since winning the silver medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Yazdani has wrestled only once, winning the gold medal at the Asian Games. A shoulder injury kept him out for eight months but Yazdani will be wrestling at 86kg on Thursday.

Before the Ranking Series, there were talks in Iran about a potential clash of Yazdani against 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) who is looking to make the Paris Olympic team for Iran. But Iran decided to send Yazdani alone and will assess his performance before deciding on a trial between the two.

Ziqi FENG (CHN)Ziqi FENG (CHN) gave a scare to Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the Asian Championships final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

China's problem of plenty

China rarely sends a portion of its team to the Ranking Series. But it has sent only five wrestlers for Budapest, all in Women's Wrestling. Three wrestlers are entered at 50kg and two at 57kg, expected for a wrestle-off.

Yu ZHANG (CHN), Jiang ZHU (CHN) and Ziqi FENG (CHN) are fighting for the Paris Olympic spot at 50kg. Feng won the quota for China by winning the bronze medal at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Qi ZHANG (CHN) and Kexin HONG (CHN) will wrestle off for the spot at 57kg. Hong won the quota at the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek. But Zhang, a world champion at 59kg, won the Asian Championships, a run that also had a win over Risako KINJO (JPN) in the first round.

Jamalov's switch

Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) has been waiting for his Uzbekistan debut which will finally happen in Budapest. Jamalov will take the mat at 74kg and can also face Bekzhod ABURKHAMANOV (UZB), meaning that their match can also be a wrestle-off.  Jamalov has not wrestled at an international event since finishing fifth at the 2021 European Championships but has previously shown that he can win against any top wrestler on his day.

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

AMMAN, Jordan (March 7) -- The Asian Championships will be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30 with 378 wrestlers expected to compete.

Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is returning after his shoulder surgery and is one of the three Paris Olympic champions expected to compete.

There is also DPR Korea returning to the Asian Championships for the first time since 2019.

UWW+ and uww.org will have all the action, highlights and news live from Amman, Jordan.

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change. For final entries, refer to UWW Arena

57kg
Muqibullah NEZAMI (AFG)
Weiyu LI (CHN)
Zainal ABIDIN (INA)
CHIRAG (IND)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Husein ALBEHADILALBORS (IRQ)
Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Chong Song HAN (PRK)
Gayan EKANAYAKA (SRI)
Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
UDIT (IND)
Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
Suhib ALMARAFI (JOR)
Takara SUDA (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL)
Kum Chol RI (PRK)
Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (TJK)
Behruzbey TURANMURATOV (UZB)

65kg
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Baowen WEI (CHN)
Hamka HAMKA (INA)
SUJEET (IND)
Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI)
Kaisei TANABE (JPN)
Nursultan SADYK (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Kwang Jin KIM (PRK)
Yan LEE (SGP)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Gurbanmuhammet CHARYYEV (TKM)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Tao WEI (CHN)
VISHAL (IND)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Mohammed KAREEM (IRQ)
Zaid MESLAH (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Seonho YOO (KOR)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK)
Shirmuhammet BEKIYEV (TKM)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Zaid SALIHI (AFG)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Tu Erxun AHEIYOU (CHN)
Gilang ILHAZA (INA)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)
Ali AL OBAIDI (IRQ)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Hikaru TAKATA (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Daegil HAN (KOR)
Batbayar BATSUKH (MGL)
Ok Chol HAN (PRK)
Madushanka LAKMAL (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Fazliddin NASRITDINOV (UZB)

79kg
Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
Feng LU (CHN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Bumgue SEO (KOR)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Asadbek KARIMOV (UZB)

86kg
Nan CAO (CHN)
FAHRIANSYAH (INA)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Mustafa AL AZZAWI (IRQ)
Abdallah MAKOON (JOR)
Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Gyeongyeon LEE (KOR)
Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL)
Weng CHOW (SGP)
Salimzhoni KHALIMZODA (TJK)
Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Soltan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Sherzod POYONOV (UZB)

97kg
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Muhamad RUDIANSYAH (INA)
JOINTY (IND)
Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI)
Abdullah SAMEER (IRQ)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ)
Jeongwoo PARK (KOR)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB)

125kg
Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)
BUHEEERDUN (CHN)
DINESH (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Ahmed AL JAMIE (IRQ)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Nursultan AZOV (KAZ)
Gyeongmin KIM (KOR)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)

Jin ZHANG (CHN)Zhang twins -- Yu and Jin -- are competing at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yu ZHANG (CHN)
ANKUSH (IND)
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Miran CHEON (KOR)
Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Jiah PINGOT (PHI)
Myonggyong WON (PRK)
Nipuni WASANA (SRI)
Gozel KURBANOVA (TKM)
Yi Hui LIN (TPE)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Thi Nga DUONG (VIE)

53kg
Jin ZHANG (CHN)
ANTIM (IND)
Noura TAAIBIN (JOR)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Aliah GAVALEZ (PHI)
Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

55kg
Yuxuan LI (CHN)
NISHU (IND)
Layal SUKKAR (JOR)
Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO (JPN)
Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Hyerim LEE (KOR)
Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL)
Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)
Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE)

57kg
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Neha SHARMA (IND)
Sara NATAMI (JPN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Il Sim SON (PRK)
Danielle LIM (SGP)
Nethmi AHINSA (SRI)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Thi Hien DANG (VIE)

59kg
Mengyu XIE (CHN)
MUSKAN (IND)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
Guldana BEKESH (KAZ)
Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hyeonju KWON (KOR)
Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Pyol HONG (PRK)
Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB)

62kg
LILI (CHN)
MANISHA (IND)
Tala ABUKHEIT (JOR)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Ok Ju KIM (PRK)
Miyasar KUSHMURATOVA (UZB)

65kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
MONIKA (IND)
Balqis TAAIBIN (JOR)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Jeongae BARK (KOR)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Aylah Mohammed MAYALI (PLE)
Maysa YUSUPJANOVA (TKM)
Shakhzoda ALLANIYAZOVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

68kg
Zelu LI (CHN)
Mansi LATHAR (IND)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ)
Miju KIM (KOR)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Sol Gum PAK (PRK)
Sheng Fang CAI (TPE)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Yuqi LIU (CHN)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Masako FURUICHI (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Sehee KIM (KOR)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg
YANGLA (CHN)
Reetika HOODA (IND)
Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Mi Hyang KIM (PRK)
Yan Ju JIANG (TPE)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)

Saied ESMAEILI (IRI)Paris Olympic champion at 67kg Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) will be competing in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yunlong HU (CHN)
NITIN (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Mostafa ALQADE (JOR)
Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN)
Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ)
Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YU (KOR)
Sumiyabazar MUNKHZAYA (MGL)
Yu Chol RO (PRK)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)
Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

60kg
Ziyue XI (CHN)
SUMIT (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Ali ABUNASEER (JOR)
Kaito INABA (JPN)
Bakytzhan KABDYL (KAZ)
Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwoo KIM (KOR)
Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA)
Se Ung RI (PRK)
Aslamjon AZIZOV (TJK)
Arslanbek ZAKIRBAYEV (TKM)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Haodong TAN (CHN)
UMESH (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Suhib ALHASANAT (JOR)
Godai MITANI (JPN)
Daulet ASHIRKHANOV (KAZ)
Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Faisal ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Chan KIM (PRK)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Lei LI (CHN)
NEERAJ (IND)
Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
Ali ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Munthir JANDU (KSA)
Man Gwang SON (PRK)
Saoud ALMEFQAEY (QAT)
Mcclaren MARREN (SGP)
Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK)
Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB)

72kg
Ji LENG (CHN)
KULDEEP (IND)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Omar DARAGHMEH (JOR)
Issei HONNA (JPN)
Adilkhan SATAYEV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)
Yeonghun NOH (KOR)
Ahmed BARAHMAH (KSA)
Jason BAUCAS (PHI)
Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK)
Begmyrat NOBATOV (TKM)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)

77kg
Jixin YU (CHN)
SAGAR (IND)
Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)
Amro SADEH (JOR)
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Dowon LEE (KOR)
Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL)
Saad AL SULAITI (QAT)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK)
Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM)
Lai Hsing YAO (TPE)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Likui SHI (CHN)
RAHUL (IND)
Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Habibjon ZUHUROV (TJK)
Toyly ORAZOV (TKM)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Jiaxin HUANG (CHN)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Yasin YAZDI (IRI)
Soh SAKABE (JPN)
Adilkhan ALBAIULY (KAZ)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Youfang ZHANG (CHN)
NITESH (IND)
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)
Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Ilyas GUCHIGOV (KAZ)
Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ)
Jewoo PARK (KOR)
Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA)
Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK)
Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM)
Bekhruz BARNOEV (UZB)

130kg
Wenhao JIANG (CHN)
PREM (IND)
Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)
Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ)
Almutasem KASASBAH (JOR)
Yuta NARA (JPN)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)