#WrestleAthens

World U17 Championships 2025: Day 4 Wrestling Highlights

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 07:31 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- The World U17 Championships enters day four with Women's Wrestling continuing in five more weight classes -- 40kg, 46kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

The semifinals in Women's Wrestling will begin at 17:00 hours local time and the medal bouts at 18:00 hours.

13:37: MANISHA (IND) gets the fall over Cassandra GONZALES (USA) inside the first period and reaches the semifinals at 69kg. Sixth Indian wrestler to reach semifinals in Women's Wrestling in Athens. Four on Wednesday, all reached the final. Can YASHITA (IND) and MANISHA (IND) keep the record?

13:35: Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) is into the semifinals at 69kg! She is the first Georgian to reach so far in Women's Wrestling. A win away from historic medal! She defeated Nadia KOCIA (POL), 7-1.

13:15: World U17 champion Tania FERNANDEZ (USA) and European U17 champion Zalina TOTROVA (UWW) in a battle and it is Fernandez who comes out on top. Leading 6-5, Totrova tries a chest wrap but gives up four points. Fernandez eventually wins 13-6 at 61kg and is back in the semifinals

13:10: A 6-5 lead for Epenesa ELISON (USA) in the 53kg quarterfinal against European U17 champion Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN) and then hits a four-pointer to make it 10-5. Zhytovoz can't make a comeback and falls to Elison 12-7

13:05: Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA) hands India its third defeat inside five minutes! She kept countering Kasish GURJAR (IND) with whizzers and then got the cradle and 12-4 win at 46kg. Bouzakis looks good to upgrade her bronze to gold this year.

13:02: Make that two losses for India as Rinka OGAWA (JPN) defends a takedown attempt from SAARIKA (IND) and wins 4-2. India challenges, asking for a clean takedown but at no point did Ogawa's three points touch the mat. She wins 5-2.

13:00: Maria GKIKA (GRE), the hosts Greece's best hope for a medal here, beats Elanur BERBER (TUR) 12-2 and enters the 46kg semifinals.

12:55: Maisie ELLIOTT (USA) hands India it's first defeat of the day as she she beats Preeti YADAV (IND), 6-2, at 40kg. Three takedowns for Elliott to Yadav's one.

12:35: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA), returning world champion, with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Zichen DONG (CHN). Only a takedown in the first period but she rallies her gut wrenches in the second and wins with 43 seconds left out of the four minutes.

12:27: Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN) with a fall as well at 53kg over Baktygul ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). Zhytovoz has not made too many mistakes and is now in the quarterfinals.

12:25: Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO), Georgia's first-ever European U17 champion in WW, wins 7-2 over Natalie WOJCIECHOWSKI (CAN). She is looking to win a medal at the World Championships after missing out last year.

12:20: MANISHA (IND) pins Dilrabo DULLIEVA (UZB) at 69kg to continue the Indian juggernaut at the World U17 Championships in Women's Wrestling.

12:00: Epenesa ELISON (USA) is on a mission! She pins Maria VANDOULAKI VANDOULA (GRE) at 53kg. Nice cradle from Elison. Back to back wins for the U15 Pan-Am champ

11:45: World U17 bronze medalist Jaclyn Rose BOUZAKIS (USA) is so good! She catches Yuting YUAN (CHN) on different occasions and wins 7-4 at 46kg.  

11:30: India has been unbeaten today, with Kasish GURJAR (IND) at 46kg, YASHITA (IND) at 61kg and SAARIKA (IND) at 53kg all win their respective matches.

11:25: Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), European U17 champion, takes out Fatima BAYRAMOVA (AZE) at 53kg with a fall. Offense at it's best from Zhytovoz

11:20: Waka AWANO (JPN) with two four-point throws and she beats Asian U17 champion Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ), 10-0 at 61kg. Awano's counter-attacks were too much for Mukat.

10:45: Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) rolls to a 12-3 win over Josefine WIDMANN (GER) at 53kg. Epenesa ELISON (USA) with some big doubles as she beats Kanita SPAHIJA (KOS) 12-0 at 53kg as well.

10:30: Welcome to day three of Women's Wrestling at the U17 World Championships. Action continues in 40kg, 46kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg.

#AmateurMMA

Amateur MMA: Kutzli wins gold for U.S.; Ukraine best team

Saturday, October 18, 2025 - 15:18 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 19) -- It was only her fourth-ever bout but Natalie KUTZLI (USA) showed no lack of experience in defeating Oliwia STAWSKA (POL), and become a world champion at the UWW Amateur MMA World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Kutzli, the lone fighter from the United States, won by unanimous decision after three rounds against Stawska who has been on the circuit for a longder time.

"I'm just at a loss of words," Kutzli said. "I just feel so surreal."

In the final against Stawska, Kutzli opened the match with clear striking and controlled the round. She followed a similar strategy and never allowed Stawska to land cleanly. Kutzli won all three rounds in the final.

"She was a challenging fighter for sure," she said. "She was really tough. It's just such a amazing opportunity to be able to fight somebody who has that much experience. I loved every second of it."

Hailing from Michigan, Kutzli began her sports career with taekwondo before switching to wrestling. Her mother, Jeanie, would drive her from one practice to another and supported her when she switched sports.

"First person I talked to was my mom," she said. "She's just so proud of me and amazed by me and what I do and I just I made her proud and my family really proud. I do it for her in hopes of someday being in the UFC and be able to pay for my family and just be able to take care of my loved one, so that's my dream.

"From a young age, I was raised by a single mom. So I'm doing this for her and to be able to thank her and just sort of appreciation to my family."

At 57kg, Viktoriia DUDAKOVA (UWW) showed that she belongs to the big league she knocked out Justine TAILFER (FRA) in the 57kg final. The bout went to the second round but Dudakova dominated it throughout.

Dudakova and Tailfer went out of bounds in the second round with the former on top. The referee called it to center and when the bout restarted with Dudakova getting the back mount advantage, she kept her striking with Tailfer not able to defend which forced the referee to call it a knockout.

In other finals, Anna BEZHENAR (UKR) scored a victory via submission against Daria RAMANOVA (UWW) to win the gold medal at 50kg. However, two other Ukraine finalists failed to win.

Veronika SUSHINA (UWW) stormed back after a slow start to beat Yana MELNYCHUK (UKR) via split decision as two judges gave her the win to one who scored it in favor of Melnychuk as Sushina won the 61kg gold.

Khalida TIMOFEEVA (UWW) did not give any chances to the judges to score differently as she defeated Yuliia MELNYCHUK (UKR) via unanimous decision to win at 65kg and bag the gold medal.

At 80kg, Anna ERSHOVA (UWW) had one of the most dominant wins in the final as she humbled Dana DROZHZHINA (UWW), winning via unanimous decision, to claim the gold medal.

Kazakhstan also got a gold medal as Aigerim TOREKHANOVA (KAZ) dominated the final against Veronika VYKHVATEN (UWW) at 53kg to win via unanimous decision. Her strong start in the first two rounds gave her the advantage despite a strong show from Vykhvaten in the final round.

RESULTS

50kg Final
Anna BEZHENAR (UKR) df. Daria ROMANOVA (UWW), via submission

53kg Final
Aigerim TOREKHANOVA (KAZ) df. Veronika VYKHVATEN (UWW), via unanimous decision

57kg Final
Viktoriia DUDAKOVA (UWW) df. Justine TAILFER (FRA), via submission

61kg Final
Veronika SUSHINA (UWW) df. Yana MELNYCHUK (UKR), via split decision

65kg Final
Khalida TIMOFEEVA (UWW) df. Yuliia MELNYCHUK (UKR), via unanimous decision

70kg Final
Natalie KUTZLI (USA) df. Oliwia STAWSKA (POL), via unanimous decision

80kg Final
Anna ERSHOVA (UWW) df. Dana DROZHZHINA (UWW), via unanimous decision