#WrestleSofia

Returning champs Jalolov and Amouzadkhalili seek second World gold medals at #WrestleSofia

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Two wrestlers seek to earn their second Cadet World gold medals tomorrow at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

2018 Cadet World champion at 45 kg Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) will make his second-straight trip to the finals after defeating 2018 Cadet Pan American champion Stevo POULIN (USA) in the 48 kg semifinals with a 12-0 tech fall.

In the gold match, Amouzadkhalili will face 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB), who scored a takedown on Udit UDIT (IND) in the final three seconds to advance to the finals.

At 55 kg, Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), a 2017 Cadet World champion and 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, hopes to add to his resume. Jalolov punched his ticket to the finals after an 8-0 win over 2019 Cadet European silver medalist and 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR).

Tomorrow Jalolov will face two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) for gold. Veisi defeated 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion Robert HOWARD (USA) in the semis, 8-6.

Photo of Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS). 

The 65 kg gold-medal finals will be a rematch of the 2019 European Olympic Games Festival finals with champion Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) meeting up with silver medalist Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS).

Gadzhiev won a close 7-7 match over 2019 EYOF bronze medalist and 2019 Cadet European bronze medalist Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), while Tskhovrebov defeated 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Manish GOSWAMI (IND) by pin.

At 80 kg, 2019 Cadet Asian champion Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) will face 2018 U15 European champion Arslan BAGAEV (RUS). Both were dominant in their semifinals matches, each winning 10-0.

Two athletes who made their international debuts today are in the finals at 110 kg, Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) and Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO).

Zasseev beat 2019 Cadet Asian champion Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSAN (IRI), 8-5, in the semifinals and Chikhradze took out Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 9-2.

The finals will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
48 kg: Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) vs. Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB)
55 kg:
Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)
65 kg: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) vs. Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS)
80 kg: Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) vs. Arslan BAGAEV (RUS)
110 kg: Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) vs. Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO)

#UWWAwards

UWW's top ranked wrestlers in 30 weight classes

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 15) -- United World Wrestling has announced the top ranked wrestlers for 2025 in all 30 weight classes. The ranks of these wrestlers are defined by the ranking points achieved at the 2025 World Championships, Continental Championships and the four Ranking Series.

Here's the list of top wrestlers, according to UWW rankings, in all the weight classes:

Freestyle

The United States has three wrestlers who finished as the top ranked wrestlers in the weight classes. World champs Zahid VALENCIA (USA) at 86kg, Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg and Kyle SNYDER (USA) at 97kg are ranked one.

Bahrain has two wrestlers finishing as ranked one -- Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) at 79kg and Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) at 125kg.

World champion at 57kg Chongsong HAN (PRK) finished first and so did 61kg world champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW).

Iran, Japan and Slovakia also had one highest ranked wrestler as well with world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) at 65kg and Yoshinosuke AOYAG (JPN) at 70kg. World bronze medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) finished top at 79kg.

57kg - Chongsong HAN (PRK)
61kg - Zavur UGUEV (UWW)
65kg - Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
70kg - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
74kg - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
79kg - Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
86kg - Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
92kg - Trent HIDLAY (USA)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)
125kg - Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)

Women's Wrestling

Best women's wrestling country, Japan, finished with three number one ranked wrestlers. Sakura ONISHI (JPN) at 59kg, Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) at 65kg and Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg, all world champs, are all ranked number one.

Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) is at the top at 57kg for Turkiye, ANTIM (IND) ranked topped at 53kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) finished best at 55kg, Helen MAROULIS (USA) at 57kg and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) at 62kg.

Ukraine's got on the list as well with world champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR) ranked number one at 72kg. World silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) finished as best wrestler at 76kg. 

50kg - Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
53kg - ANTIM (IND)
55kg - Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)
57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA)
59kg - Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
62kg - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
65kg - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
68kg - Ami ISHII (JPN)
72kg - Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
76kg - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

Greco-Roman

Uzbekistan emerged as the best country in Greco-Roman with three top ranked wrestlers. World champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) at 60kg and Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) at 72kg were best.

Georgia and Hungary got two wrestlers each at the top. World champion Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) earned himself the top rank at 55kg while Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) is at 82kg. For Hungary, Alex SZOKE (HUN) at 97kg and Darius VITEK (HUN) at 130kg earned the top rank.

Iran, Turkiye and Serbia earned one spots each at the top of the ranking. Olympic and world champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) became the top ranked wrestler at 67kg, Ahmed YILMAZ (TUR) at 72kg and world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) at 87kg.

55kg - Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO)
60kg - Alisher GANIEV (UZB)
63kg - Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)
67kg - Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
72kg - Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
77kg - Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
82kg - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
87kg - Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
97kg - Alex SZOKE (HUN)
130kg - Darius VITEK (HUN)

Each of the top ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes will receive Swiss Francs (CHF) 5,000.