Iran World Team Trials

Three Yazdani’s Win Iran Freestyle Team Trials

By Ali Feizasa

The small town of Jouybar, located in the Mazandaran province, introduced yet another talent to Iranian wrestling as three wrestlers from the Yazdani family won a spot on Iran’s freestyle team for 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan.

Amir YAZDANI won the 65kg title in the Iran team trials, as his older cousin and two-time world champion Reza YAZDANI topped 97kg. Their relative, world and Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANI dominated at 86kg and also punched his ticket to Nur-Sultan, too. 

Iran’s coaching staff decided to hold team trials in only five weights and will select other five wrestlers according to their performance from the entirety of the 2019 season.

65kg- Winner: Amir Mohammad YAZDANI
The youngster Amir Yazdani, a cousin to Reza YAZDANI, finished the 65kg competition with two wins and a loss. Iman SADEGHI had the same record, but the cadet world silver and U23 Asian silver-medal winner beat Sadeghi, 3-2 in the first round to be the best wrestler in this weight.

His sister Zahra YAZDANI is also Asian Alysh Indoor Games champion. 

65kg
Round 1

Amir Mohammad YAZDANI df. Iman SADEGHI, 3-2
Morteza GHIYASI df. Peyman BIYABANI, 3-2

Round 2
Iman SADEGHI df. Peyman BIYABANI, 6-4
Amir Mohammad YAZDANI df. Morteza GHIYASI, 5-4

Round 3
Peyman BIYABANI df. Amir Mohammad YAZDANI, 6-1
Iman SADEGHI df. Morteza GHIYASI, 2-1

74kg Winner: Reza AFZALI
Former Asian champion Reza AFZALI returned to Iran national team at 74kg after a five years absence. Afzali had three victories on the day. The first came against 2019 Asian bronze medal winner Mohammad NOKODI. Then, Afzali defeated two-time world medal winner Seyed MOHAMMADI and capped off his day with a win against Hamed RASHIDI. 

AFZALI competed for Iran at 2014 World Championships where he finished in 13thplace. 

74kg- Round 1
Mohammad NOKHODI df. Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI, 4-4
Reza AFZALI df. Hamed RASHIDI, 4-0

Round 2
Reza AFZALI df. Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI, 9-7
Hamed RASHIDI df. Mohammad NOKHODI, 4-4

Round 3
Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI df. Hamed RASHIDI, 7-7
Reza AFZALI df. Mohammad NOKHODI, 5-0

86kg- Winner: Hassan YAZDANI
The brilliant performance of U23 world champion and 2019 Asian champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR, forced Iran’s national head coach to hold a wrestle-off between him and Olympic and world champion Hassan Yazdani.

Both wrestlers from Jouybar knew each other very well. Yazdani didn’t have an easy job against Ghasempour, but Yazdani earned his Kazakhstan ticket by defeating his rival 6-3.

“Ghasempour is my close friend, and he is a very good wrestler. We know each other styles very well, so it was a tough match for me.” Hassan Yazdani said after the match.

Iranian wrestling fans in attendance filled most of the seats of the Azadi Sports Complex. Hassan Yazdani was their favorite wrestler, and the fans supported him during the competition. “I appreciate the fans, and I thank them for their support. It was my duty to compete in the team trials, and I have done so during the last few years.” Yazdani added. 

After falling to David TAYLOR (USA) in 2018 World Championships, it seems Yazdani will be the favorite to win gold as defending champion Taylor will miss the World Championships due to injury. Taylor’s absence leaves Yazdani very close to his fifth Olympic and world medal at age 25.

97kg- Winner: Reza YAZDANI
Four-time world medal winner Reza Yazdani has returned to Iran’s line up after a three-year absence. Reza Yazdani has missed two Olympic medals because of injury but has focused on taking one last in Tokyo 2020.

The first world medal of YAZDANI returns to 13 years ago in 2006, and he has aimed to capture his fifth world medal in Kazakhstan.

Reza Yazdani was also the third wrestler from Jouybar and also from Yazdani family to win an Iranian team trials gold medal. The fathers of Reza and Hassan are cousins.

97kg 
Round 1
Ali Shabani df. Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR, 3-2

Round 2
Reza YAZDANI df. Ali SHABANI, 5-3

125kg- Winner: Parviz HADI
Reigning world bronze medal winner Parviz HADI ensured his participation at Kazakhstan by downing two big heavyweight rivals. Hadi, the man who beat Olympic champion Taha AKGUL in last year World Championships, faced two-time Asian champion Yadollah MOHEBBI in the first round and won the match. 4-2.

Then, Hadi met veteran and two-time Olympic medalist Komeil Ghasemi and earned the 4-0 victory. 

Ghasemi is the most titled heavyweight wrestler of Iran wrestling history in the Olympic Games as he achieved a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and took silver in the 2016 Rio Games.

125kg
Round 1

Parviz HADI df. Yadollah MOHEBBI, 4-2

Round 2
Yadollah MOHEBBI df. Komeil GHASEMI, 6-2

Round 3
Parviz HADI df. Komeil GHASEMI, 4-0

Predicted Iran Freestyle line up for 2019 World Championships
57kg- Reza ATRI
61kg- Mohammad Bagher YAKHKESHI – Behnam EHSANPOUR
65kg- Amir Mohammad YAZDANI
70kg- Younes EMAMI
74kg- Reza AFZALI
79kg- Bahman TEYMOURI
86kg- Hassan YAZDANI
92kg- Alireza KARIMI
97kg- Reza YAZDANI
125kg- Parviz HADI

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2025 Entries: Greco-Roman

By United World Wrestling Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 27) -- The Greco-Roman competition at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Series will see around 200 wrestlers participate in 10 weight classes.

It will be a highly competitive style with numerous Olympic and world medalists entered in what will be the final Ranking Series event of the year.

Greco-Roman will be held on July 19 and 20, the last two days of the tournament. For full schedule of the Budapest Ranking Series 2025, click here.

FREESTYLE ENTRIES | WOMEN'S WRESTLING ENTRIES

Note: The entries are preliminary and subject to change 72 hours before the draw of respective styles. For final brackets and entries, please click here.

World Championships Tickets

Greco-Roman

55kg
Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Peter TOTOK (HUN)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Jayden RANEY (USA)
Brady KOONTZ (USA)
Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)
Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)

60kg
Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)
Ilkin GURBANOV (AZE)
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Levente FIGE (HUN)
Madi DANELOV (KAZ)
Sayat ABDIMUTALIP (KAZ)
Seunghak KIM (KOR)
Dahyun KIM (KOR)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Georgij TIBILOV (SRB)
Maxwell BLACK (USA)
Dylan KOONTZ (USA)
Sadyk LALAEV (UWW)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (UWW)
Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Karen ASLANYAN (ARM)
Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO)
Yerkhan ABIL (KAZ)
Yersin ABYIR (KAZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Yeongwoo JEONG (KOR)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Ellis E COLEMAN (USA)
Dinislam BAMMATOV (UWW)
Sergey EMELIN (UWW)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Farid KHALILOV (AZE)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Attila JOZSA (HUN)
David MANYIK (HUN)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Byeonggi SEO (KOR)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Alston NUTTER (USA)
Otto BLACK (USA)
Ruslan BICHURIN (UWW)
Daniial AGAEV (UWW)
Maksim NOVICHIKHIN (UWW)
Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB)

72kg
Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE)
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Petar GORNYASHKI (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Luka IVANCIC (CRO)
Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Almas AKIMBAYEV (KAZ)
Madiyar MAULITKANOV (KAZ)
Juan AAK (NOR)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB)
Mustafa SAHIN (TUR)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Aliaksandr KIKINIOU (USA)
Danil GRIGOREV (UWW)
Narek OGANIAN (UWW)
Alen MIRZOIAN (UWW)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
Abror ATABAEV (UZB)

77kg
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Calebe CORREA (BRA)
Stoyan KUBATOV (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Levente LEVAI (HUN)
Attila TOESMAGI (HUN)
Yeldos KAMELOV (KAZ)
Bakdaulet AKIMZHAN (KAZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Hyeonjin KANG (KOR)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)
Kamal BEY (USA)
Sergei STEPANOV (UWW)
Sergei KUTUZOV (UWW)
Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Abd OUAKALI (ALG)
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Kuanysh AMANGELDI (KAZ)
Kassymzhomart ALIN (KAZ)
Jihyeok SONG (KOR)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Shahin BADAGHI (QAT)
Uros LECIC (SRB)
Antal VAMOS (SRB)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)
Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW)
Islam ALIEV (UWW)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Kauan FERREIRA (BRA)
Yoan DIMITROV (BUL)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)
Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Seunghwan LEE (KOR)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
Milos PEROVIC (SRB)
Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB)
Payton JACOBSON (USA)
Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW)
Alan OSTAEV (UWW)
Aues GONIBOV (UWW)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

97kg
Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE)
Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Vendel VITAI (HUN)
Alex SZOKE (HUN)
Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)
Seungjun KIM (KOR)
Minho LEE (KOR)
Luka KATIC (SRB)
Uros KRSTIN (SRB)
Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)
Michial FOY (USA)
Artur SARGSIAN (UWW)
Adlan AMRIEV (UWW)
Magomed MURTAZALIEV (UWW)
Abdikodir JALILOV (UZB)

130kg
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Marko MILANOVIC (CRO)
Heiki NABI (EST)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN)
Darius VITEK (HUN)
Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)
Koppany LASZLO (HUN)
Jokhar UZAROV (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Aidos AMIROV (KAZ)
Seungchan LEE (KOR)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Hamza BAKIR (TUR)
Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA)
Aden ATTAO (USA)
Courtney FREEMAN (USA)
Marat KAMPAROV (UWW)