#WrestleNice

Updated (Jan. 14) Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France Preliminary Entries

By Eric Olanowski

Nice, FRANCE (January 8) -- The 47th Annual Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France kicks off January 14-18 and will feature nearly 315 athletes from 26 different nations.

*Please note: These are preliminary entries and are subject to change.

Freestyle

57kg
Chakir ANSARI (MAR)
Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE)
NilsL EUTERT (SUI)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Temerlan AZIZOV (FRA)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Razvan KOVACS (ROU)
Andrei DUKOV (ROU)
Vitali ARUJAU (USA)
Thomas GILMAN (USA)
Nicholas SURIANO (USA)

61kg
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Viktor LYZEN (GER)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Arman ELOYAN (FRA)
Valentin DAMOUR (FRA)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Anvar SUVINIITTY (FIN)
Joseph COLON (USA)


World and Olympic champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) highlights a stacked list of 65kg entries. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

65kg
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ (ESP)
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Marwane YEZZA (FRA)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Théo MAZOYER-VEAUTIER (FRA)
Magomedmurad GADZIHEV (POL)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Evghenii VOLKOV (ROU)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Alexandru MATEA( ROU)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)
John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA)
James GREEN (USA)

70kg
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Abdulla TOMOV (FRA)
Zurab ILAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
George BUCUR (ROU)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)

74kg
Jonathan ALVAREZ (ESP)
Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE)
Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE)
Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE)
Joel MEIER (SUI)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Kubilay CAKICI (GER)
Matthias SCHMIDT (GER)
Charles AFA (FRA)
Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (FRA)
Eduard GREGOREW (POL)
Avtandi lKENTCHADZE (GEO)
Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO)
Valentin BORZIN (MDA)
Avghenii NEDEALCO (MDA)
Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU)
Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG)
Mitchell Louis FINESILVER (ISR)
Kyle DAKE (USA)

79kg
Eduard TATARINOV (GER)
DanielS ARTAKOV (GER)
Andreas WALTER (GER)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
Grigore CARASTOIAN (MDA)

86kg
DamianI GLESIAS (ESP)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWIC (POL)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO)
Andrian GROSU (MDA)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)

92kg
Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
Robin FERDINAND (GER)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Irakli MITSURI (GEO)


A potential Nur-Sultan semifinal rematch of Olympic champions Sharif SHARIFOF (AZE) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) could be brewing at 97kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

97kg
Alejandro CANADA (ESP)
Sharif SHARIFOF (AZE)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Radoslaw BARAN (POL)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)

125kg
Jose CUBA (ESP)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Asghar LAGHARI (GER)
Kamil KOSCIOTEK (POL)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Jere HEINO (FIN)
Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)


World champion Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) will compete at 55g. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
André SILVA (POR)
Sargis GEVORGIZYAN (AUT)
Nugzar iTSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Ekrem ÖZTÜRK (TUR)
Serif KILIÇ (TUR)
Elcin ALİ (TUR)

60kg 
António CABRAL (POR)
Albert BAGUMYAN (ESP)
Murad MAMMADOV(AZE)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

63kg
Julinho DJU (POR)
Andy JUAN (ESP)
Murad BAZAROV (AZE)
Tigran GALUSTYAN (FRA)
Yanis NIFRI (FRA)
Mcateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Abdurahman ALTAN (TUR)
Mehmet ÇEKER (TUR)
Fatih ÜÇÜNCÜ (TUR)
Colton RASCHE (USA)
Devin HESTER (USA)

67kg
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA (ESP)
Namaz RUSTAMOV (AZE)
Islambek DADOV (AZE)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)
Yasin OZAY (FRA)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)
Aleksander MILEWCZYK (POL)
Aker AL OBAIDI (AUT)
Atakan YÜKSEL (TUR)
Jamel JOHNSON (USA)
Raymond BUNKER (USA)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

77kg
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Evrik NIKOGHOSYAN (FRA)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Maksym ZAKHARCZUK (POL)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Yunus Emre BAŞAR (TUR)
Fatih CENGİZ (TUR)
Patrick SMITH (USA)
Peyton WALSH (USA)

82kg
Alejandro CONCEPCION (ESP)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Michael WAGNER (AUT)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Emrah KUS (TUR)
Salih AYDIN (TUR)
John STEFANOWICZ (USA)

87kg
Yuisralembert CARRION (ESP)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Saba DJAVAKHICHVILI (FRA)
Michal DYBKA (POL)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Lesyan Osvaldo COUSIN OTOMURO (JAM)
Guram KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Emrah KUŞ (TUR)
Terrence ZALESKI (USA)
Vaughn MONREAL BERNER (USA)

97kg
Pedro GARCIA (ESP)
Jesus GASCA (ESP)
Murad LOKIAEV (AZE)
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Gerard KURNICZAK (POL)
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Metehan BAŞAR (TUR)
Daniel MILLER (USA)

130kg
Sabah SHARIATI (AZE)
Sulkhani BUIDZE (GEO)
Jakob KAJAIA (GEO)
Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI)
Diego ALMENDRAS (CHI)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)


Reigning world champion Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) will take the mat at 68kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ana TORRES (ESP)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Julie SABATIÉ (FRA)
Félicia GALLO (FRA)
Taru VAINIONPÄÄ (FIN)
Evin DEMİRHAN (TUR)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
Amy FEARNSIDE (USA)

53kg
Marina RUEDA (ESP)
Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)
Nina HEMMER (GER)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Angelina PURSCHKE( GER)
Hilary HONORINE (FRA)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Florine SCHELDER (AUT)
Zeynep YETGİL (TUR)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
Sara ETTAKI (ITA)
Oriana DI STEFANO (ITA)
Carmen DI DIO (ITA)


Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) headlines the entries at 57kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

57kg
Maria VICTORIA BAEZ (ESP)
Graciela SANCHEZ (ESP)
Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Laura MERTENS (GER)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Elena HeikeBRUGGER (GER)
Josefine PURSCHKE (GER)
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA)
Gaëlle RUIZ (FRA)
Jeannie KESSLER (AUT)
Bediha GÜN (TUR)
Mehlika ÖZTÜRK (TUR)
Lauren LOUIVE (USA)
Helen MAROULIS (USA)
Arianna CARIERI (ITA)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)

63kg
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER)
Andrea GRASRUCK (GER)
Anne NURNBERGER (GER)
Améline DOUARRE (FRA)
Gamze NurADAKAN (TUR)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Rebecca DE LEO (ITA)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Sara DACOL (ITA)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Yulia TKACH (UKR)

68kg
Nerea PAMPIN (ESP)
Maria SELMAIER (GER)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Luz Clara VAZQUEZ (ARG)
Asli DEMİR (TUR)
Nesrin BAŞ (TUR)
Nazar BATIR (TUR)
Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA)
Forrest MOLINARI (USA)
Victoria FRANCIS (USA)
Veronica BRASCHI (ITA)

76kg
Carla LERA (ESP)
Francy RADELT (GER)
Johanna MEIER (GER)
Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Epp MAE (EST)
Ay Segul ÖZBEĞE (TUR)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Vahide Nur GÖK (TUR)
Elenj PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."