#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2025 Ranking Series Entry List

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 21) -- The first Ranking Series of the year will kick off in Zagreb, Croatia on February 5 at the Zagreb Arena.

The tournament will also mark the beginning of the new season and a new Olympic cycle for wrestlers with Ranking Series points up for grabs.

Wrestling will be on UWW+ live on uww.org and the UWW app. Follow UWW on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube.

Freestyle

57kg
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Luka GVINJILIA (GEO)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
RAHUL (IND)
AMAN (IND)
Ahora KHATERI (IRI)
Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX)
Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Daniel DESHAZER (USA)
Brandon COURTNEY (USA)
Spencer LEE (USA)

61kg
Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE)
Joshua KRAMER (ECU)
Arman ELOYAN (FRA)
Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO)
Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO)
PANKAJ (IND)
Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
Ebrahim KHARI (IRI)
Reza Hossein MOMENI (IRI)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
Nahshon GARRETT (USA)
Michael MCGEE (USA)

65kg
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO)
Goderdzi DZEBISASHVILI (GEO)
Zoltan MIZSEI (HUN)
SIDDHARTH (IND)
Yasin REZAEI (IRI)
Ali KHORRAMDEL (IRI)
Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI)
Austin GOMEZ (MEX)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Joseph MCKENNA (USA)
Evan HENDERSON (USA)

70kg
Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)
Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Anuj KUMAR (IND)
Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR)
James GREEN (USA)
Jarrett JACQUES (USA)
Alec PANTALEO (USA)

74kg
Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE)
Vedran LUKETIN (CRO)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Ali REZAEI (IRI)
Andrzej SOKALSKI (POL)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
David CARR (USA)

79kg
Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO)
AMIT (IND)
Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Evan WICK (USA)
Rocco WELSH (USA)

86kg
Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Matthew FINESILVER (ISR)
Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA)
Krzysztof SADOWIK (POL)
Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
Trent HIDLAY (USA)
Nathan JACKSON (USA)

92kg
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Iuza TSERTSVADZE (GEO)
Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN)
SACHIN (IND)
Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Benjamin HONIS (ITA)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Cezary SADOWSKI (POL)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Aaron BROOKS (USA)
Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA)

97kg
Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO)
Richard VEGH (HUN)
SAHIL (IND)
Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)
Jonathan AIELLO (USA)

125kg
Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO)
DINESH (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Trent HILLGER (USA)
Hayden ZILLMER (USA)
Mason PARRIS (USA)

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and Kennedy BLADES (USA) at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN)
Kamila BARBOSA (BRA)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Shivanee PAWAR (IND)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)

55kg
Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN)
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Gerda TEREK (HUN)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)
JYOTI (IND)
MEENAKSHI (IND)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)

57kg
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN)
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
TAPSYA (IND)

59kg
Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE)
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
ANJLI (IND)
Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA)
Michaela BECK (USA)
Sofia MACALUSO (USA)

62kg
Amina TANDELOVA (AIN)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Yasmine SOLIMAN (HUN)
Bhagyashree FAND (IND)
Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)

65kg
Milla ANDELIC (CRO)
Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
MANISHA (IND)

68kg
Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Karolina POK (HUN)
RADHIKA (IND)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Kennedy BLADES (USA)

72kg
Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE)
Veronika VILK (CRO)
Noemi OSVATH NAGY (HUN)
PRIYANKA (IND)
Skylar GROTE (USA)

76kg
Valeriia TRIFONOVA (AIN)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN)
PRIYA (IND)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Yelena MAKOYED (USA)

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)Paris Olympic bronze medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) is entered at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari) 

Greco-Roman

55kg
Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Peter TOTOK (HUN)
LALIT (IND)
Mahdi AHADI (IRI)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)
Andrew KOONTZ (USA)
Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)

60kg
Sadyk LALAEV (AIN)
Emin SEFERSHAEV (AIN)
Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)
Huseyn GARIBOV (AZE)
PRAVESH (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Melkamu FETENE (ISR)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Georgij TIBILOV (SRB)
Dalton ROBERTS (USA)
Maxwell BLACK (USA)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)
Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

63kg
Hleb MAKARANKA (AIN)
Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN)
Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
UMESH (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Erfan JARKANI (IRI)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Corneliu RUSU (MDA)
Ellis COLEMAN (USA)
Ildar HAFIZOV (USA)
Otto BLACK (USA)
Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

67kg
Daniial AGAEV (AIN)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Farid KHALILOV (AZE)
Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Vinayak PATIL (IND)
Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI)
Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Noe POC (SRB)
Alejandro SANCHO (USA)
Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB)

72kg
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (AIN)
Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE)
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Luka IVANCIC (CRO)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN)
Levente LEVAI (HUN)
Ankit GULIA (IND)
Iman KHOON (IRI)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Benjamin PEAK (USA)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)

77kg
Illia VALEUSKI (AIN)
Maksim SHEDZ (AIN)
Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN)
Sergei STEPANOV (AIN)
Khasay HASANLI (AZE)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Davud MAMMADOV (AZE)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Michal ZELENKA (CZE)
Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)
Akseli YLI HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
KARAN (IND)
Amin KAVIYANI (IRI)
Amir ABDI (IRI)
Ali OSKOU (IRI)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Artur POLITAIEV (UKR)
Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Ilya BITSEYEU (AIN)
Shuai MAMEDAU (AIN)
Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Marek VRBA (CZE)
Peter DOEMOEK (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Dominik BOTOS (HUN)
Aman KUMAR (IND)
Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Vasile COJOC (ROU)
Uros LECIC (SRB)
Jesse PORTER (USA)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)

87kg
Stanislau SHAFARENKA (AIN)
Ihar YARASHEVICH (AIN)
Aues GONIBOV (AIN)
Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Ondrej HAVELKA (CZE)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Naser ALIZADEH (IRI)
Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Milos PEROVIC (SRB)
Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
Spencer WOODS (USA)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)
Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB)

97kg
Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU (AIN)
Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)
Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN)
Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN)
Artur SARGSIAN (AIN)
Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE)
Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Tomislav BRKAN (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Mathias BAK (DEN)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Alex SZOKE (HUN)
Vendel VITAI (HUN)
SONU (IND)
Hamidreza BADKAN (IRI)
Shayan HABIBZARE (IRI)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Nicu OJOG (ROU)
Uros KRSTIN (SRB)
Luka KATIC (SRB)

130kg
Dzmitry ZARUBSKI (AIN)
Sergei SEMENOV (AIN)
Marat KAMPAROV (AIN)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Artur SARKISJAN (CZE)
Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)
Darius VITEK (HUN)
Koppany LASZLO (HUN)
Uttam RANA (IND)
Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI)
Courtney FREEMAN (USA)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)

Note: The 53kg weight class in Women's Wrestling was removed after only one wrestler was registered for the same.

#JapanWrestling

Tokyo champ Shidochi dealt setback in return from two-year layoff

By Ken Marantz

Top photo: Haruna MURAYAMA flips Mayu SHIDOCHI onto her back for a 2-point takedown during their women's 53kg quarterfinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

TOKYO (June 20) -- Through their years as university teammates and beyond, Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI and Haruna MURAYAMA each compiled a long list of laurels that included three world titles.

But when their paths crossed on the mat, Shidochi had been the dominant one. Murayama showed on Friday that those days are over.

Shidochi, returning to the mat after a two-year layoff that included giving birth to her first child, saw her bid for a shot at a fourth world title end when Murayama dealt her a 5-1 loss in the women's 53kg quarterfinals at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in Tokyo, the second of two qualifiers for this year's World Championships.

Shidochi, who won the Tokyo Olympic gold at 53kg under her maiden name of MUKAIDA, was ahead on criteria in the second period after each received an activity point, but Murayama (nee OKUNO) went ahead with a pair of takedowns.

"It's really disappointing," said Shidochi, who had a 9-0 career record against Murayama before losing to her for the first time at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships in December 2022. "I lost to Okuno at the Tokyo qualifier and I really wanted to get revenge for that."

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN)Haruna MURAYAMA works to get behind Mayu SHIDOCHI for a takedown during their women's 53kg quarterfinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Shidochi, who will turn 28 on Sunday, had last competed two years at the Meiji Cup, which was part of the qualifying process for the Paris Olympics. Her dreams of an Olympic repeat ended with a loss by fall in the second round to Akari FUJINAMI, who went on to take the 53kg gold in Paris.

Shidochi, who has her sights set on the 2026 Asian Games to be hosted by Japan, had planned to return in July at a lower-tier national tournament, where she could qualify for this year's Emperor's Cup, a qualifier for the Asian Games. But she moved it up a month when she found out her status as a former Olympic champion granted her entry into the Meiji Cup.

"Even though I lost like this at this tournament, I'm glad I took up the challenge," she said. "Ilost, but I found out things that I need to work on. I want to use that to step up my game so I can win in December."

Shidochi said that is probably more nerves than rustiness that did her in against Murayama, who is two years her junior.

"When I was warming up, I was moving really well," she said. "But during the match, I thought I could do more. I wasn't moving my feet. In preparation, I trained hard and did my research. I was really looking forward to it, but it didn't work out."

Murayama still has her work cut out for her if she wants to be on the plane to Zagreb. In Saturday's final, she will face Moe KIYOOKA, who last year succeeded her as the world 55kg champion. The two met in the final at the 2023 Emperor's Cup, which Kiyooka won 5-1.

A victory by Kiyooka would give her the world team spot outright. If Murayama wins, it will set up a playoff between the two later in the session, although Murayama has another option.

Murayama won the 55kg title at the Emperor's Cup, but opted not contest that playoff.

In another weight class that started Friday and will end Saturday, world 72kg champion Ami ISHII looks poised to grab the world team spot at 68kg after easily winning her lone match of the day in a four-woman round-robin that is down to three after Rin MIYAGI's injury withdrawal.

Ishii will clinch the spot with a victory in her final match against Seia MOCHINAGA. Meanwhile, Yoshinosuke AOYAGI will need to take the playoff route if he wants to improve on the world silver medal at freestyle 70kg that he won last year.

Aoyagi, the Emperor's Cup champion, was dealt a last-second 3-2 defeat in the semifinals by world U20 champion Ryoya YAMASHITA, who will take on Shoya MIURA in Saturday's final in a battle of 19-year-olds.

Aoyagi, a two time world U23 medalist, is coming off winning a gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series tournament in Tirana and his second career Asian medal with a bronze in Amman.

Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN)Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI scores a takedown during his 4-4 victory over Emperor's Cup champion Ryunosuke KAMIYA in the freestyle 74kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yakubi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

There will also be a playoff at freestyle 74kg, where Emperor's Cup champion Ryunosuke KAMIYA was dealt a nail-biting loss to 19-year-old collegiate champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI.

Gharehdaghi, whose father is Iranian, has already made Japan's team to the U20 worlds. To get the senior worlds, he will first have to get through fellow collegian Subaru TAKAHARA, who has qualified for the U23 worlds.

At freestyle 61kg, 2021 world bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA scored in double-digits in all three of his victories to advance to the final, capped by a 10-2 semifinal win over Aiki KAWAI.

In the final, Hasegawa will face Akito MUKAIDA -- Shidochi's younger brother, who has already qualified for the World U23 Championships.