#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Ranking Series day three finals set

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 3) -- The Zagreb Open enters day three with four women's wrestling and two Greco-Roman weight classes. The big names in GR 77kg and 87kg will be putting on a show along with women's 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

15:45: The finals are set for the evening session.

GR
77kg: 
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI)

87kg: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) vs Istvan TAKACS (HUN)

WW
62kg: 
Grace BULLEN (NOR) vs. Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)

65kg: Mallory VELTE (USA) vs. Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN)

68kg: Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) vs. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) 

15:25: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) 5-0 in the semifinal and Istvan TAKACS (HUN) over David LOSONCZI (HUN) 5-4 in the other semifnal. The GR 87kg final will be Alizadeh vs Takacs.

15:15: Kumba LARROQUE (FRA) takes out Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the 68kg semifinal. Ringaci led 1-0 before got the takedown for two. Ringaci took the lead again with a takedown in the second period and led 3-2 with 10 seconds remaining. Larroque went for a double leg and managed to spin Ringaci for a four. Ringaci challenges the call but it stands. Larroque wins 7-4

15:05: Two big quarterfinals at 62kg. Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) pins Lais NUNES (BRA) while Grace BULLEN (NOR) proved that she belongs to the new weight class. Wrestling against Kayla MIRACLE (USA), she led 4-0 but Miracle got a takedown to gut to lead 4-4. However, Bullen got two stepouts to win 8-6  

14:45: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) moves into the final at 77kg after a thrilling 4-3 win over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO). A critical stepout point with two minutes left proved to be the difference.

14:20: The other 62kg semifinal will see Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) take on Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA). Motoki defeated Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) 11-1 while Nunes eked out a close 2-1 win over Ana GODINEZ (CAN)

14:00: Kayla MIRACLE (USA) with a late stepout to beat Jia LONG (CHN) 6-4 at 62kg. Great performance from the American wrestler. She will face Grace BULLEN (NOR) in the semifinals as she defeated Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) 11-0 in the quarterfinal.

13:50: What a bout we had! Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) and Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) left it all on the mat. Szilvassy gets the stepout and the passivity point in the first period. But Berdimuratov scores from par terre in the second to lead 3-2. A stepout for Szilvassy but not enough as Berdimuratov wins 3-3

13:35: The quarterfinals at 77kg are set

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) vs. Per KURE (NOR)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) vs. Johnny BUR (FRA)
Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN) vs. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) 

13:20: The quarterfinals at 62kg are nothing less than the World Championships

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
Grace BULLEN (NOR) vs. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
Lais NUNES (BRA) vs. Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) vs. Jia LONG (CHN) 

13:14: The Croatian fans are on their feet! Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) upsets World Championships silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN). Kamenjasevic trailed 3-0 at the break but Levai was put in par terre in the second period. Kamenjasevic scored a turn to lead 3-3 and won the bout

12:45: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) builds an 8-0 lead before securing the fall over Viktoria VESSO (EST) at 62kg. She will now face Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) in the quarterfinal

12:40: Grace BULLEN (NOR) looks so dominant in the new weight class. The 59kg World Championships silver medalist with a fall over Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB) to reach the quarterfinals.  

12:25: World Championships silver medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) with a monster five-pointer over Michael WAGNER (AUT) before adding a turn to win via technical superiority.

12:00: U23 European champion Marcel STERKENBURG (NED), wrestling at 87kg, with a four-pointer before adding a takedown to win 8-0 over Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU). Great start for the young star

11:30: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) and Tamas LEVAI (HUN) now wrestling at 87kg. Bisultanov goes on top in the first period. He fails to score any points. Levai gets a point from par terre in the second period. No more action and Levai will win 1-1.

10:55: Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN) with a good win over Exauce MUKUBU (NOR). He scored a turn from par terre before giving up one. Mukubu, however, could not find the winning point. 

10:35: This will hurt Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) a lot. In the opening bout against Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), he failed to get any par terre and ends up going down 3-0. Big win for Kaviyaninejad. 

10:30: Frantic action in women's 62kg as Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Grace BULLEN (NOR)Jia LONG (CHN)Ana GODINEZ (CAN) and Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) pick up wins.

10:20: Upset? Xiaojuan LUO (CHN) with a 10-4 win over Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ). Luo with two big fours in either half. Tynybekova will be a little worried in this Paris Olympics qualifying year.  

10:00: Welcome to Zagreb! We start with 59kg round-robin bouts and world champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) picks up a quick win over Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) at 59kg. In the second bout, Viktoria BORSOS (HUN) beats Nikolett SZABO (HUN) 6-6.

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 World Championships 2025 Day 7 Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 26) -- The U23 World Championships will see only Freestyle action on day seven. Four weight classes till semifinals are -- 61kg, 65kg, 86kg and 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

14:40: A clash between Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) and Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) at 97kg. Babaloo began well but Yoshida with his high-paced wrestling has Babaloo in all sorts of trouble. Yoshida was trying to pin Babaloo but referees called a foul. Iran challenged for a singlet foul but there was none. Yoshida led 5-2 after that review. He then scored two stepouts and three takedowns to win 13-2

14:30: SUJEET (IND) takes out Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) at 65kg. He was put on the clock twice and was down 2-0. But he finally got a point when Magomedov was put on the clock. Sujeet hit a low single to make it 3-2 before he scored a stepout to seal a spot in the semifinal with a 4-2 win.

14:15: Technical superiority 12-0 win for Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) over Andranik AVETISYAN (ARM) as he moves into the 65kg semifinals. Nishiuchi does seem to struggle a little bit with his conditioning. Will be a factor in the semifinals? 

14:05: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) gets the best of Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) in a heated 86kg bout. Balaian scored a takedown and point for activity in the second period to lead 3-1. He then forced Tcokaev a stepout before countering Tcokaev's desperate attack to score two points and win 6-1

13:55: Umidjon JALALOV (UZB), world bronze medalist in Zagreb, crafts three takedowns in his 6-1 victory over Aykhan ABDULLAZADA (AZE) and advance to the semifinals at 65.

13:50: Jaxen FORREST (USA) opens his 61kg campaign with a 13-0 masterful victory over Vasile MARCU (MDA). High-schooler Forrest missed out on a medal in Zagreb, losing a thriller in his bronze-medal bout

13:40: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) downs Rocco WELSH (USA) 7-4 at 86kg. Welsh hit a big four pointer to lead 6-4 but Iran challenged the call. On review, the four points were awarded to Rahmani as he hit countered the double-leg attack. Both exchange stepout but Rahmani wins the bout.

13:05: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) with some crafty wrestling to sail through Yasin REZAEI (IRI) at 65kg. He also got a four-pointer in that 11-0 win. Magomedov is two-time U23 world champion at 61kg.

13:00: A point for activity point and a takedown for Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) for a 3-0 but Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) hits a takedown with 26 seconds left to make it 3-2. Jalalov defends that lead to win at 65kg.

12:40: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) needed two dramatic attacks in the final 25 seconds to win against Ahmet YAGAN (TUR) at 86kg. Down 3-1, Rahmani hit a takedown on the edge which was awarded one point for stepout after challenge, but he got an attack with 10 seconds left which was exposure two points and he won 4-3. Turkiye challenged the call but this time lost the challenge.

12:30: SUJEET (IND) with his second technical superiority win at 65kg. He scores five takedowns and one stepout to beat Dominik JAGUSZ (POL), 11-0.

12:25: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) falls to Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA). Magamodov looked completely off color in his 7-4 loss at 86kg.

12:15: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) and Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA) had a little heated moment in their 86kg bout. Balaian was clearly the superior wrestler as he wins 10-0 and advance at 86kg. Balaian helps Niccolini off the mat and it's all good

11:45: Defending 97kg champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) takes his own time but starts off with an 11-1 victory over Ibrahim BENEKLI (TUR) at 97kg. The match is followed by world bronze medalist Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) finishing with a 10-0 victory over Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN).

11:25: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) takes out U20 world champion at 61kg Marcus BLAZE (USA) at 65kg. Sharip Uulu scored a takedown to lead 3-1 and Blaze had to score a takedown to win. He managed to only score a stepout. He also challenged for a singlet pull but it was ruled that Sharip Uulu got his fingers stuck in stimulation and did not stop any attack. The lost challenge made it 4-2, the winning score of Sharip Uulu

11:05: SUJEET (IND) gives up the first takedown but then launches a spree of attacks to finish the bout 12-2 against Fiodor CEAVDARI (MDA) and advance at 65kg.

10:50: Two-time U20 world champion Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) begins his U23 career with a 10-0 win over Ryan DAHCHA (CAN) at 65kg. Nishiuchi is the favorite to win the gold medal here

10:40: World U23 champion Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) was challenged by ASHISH (IND) in his first bout at 86kg but he scores two exposures for four points which gives him 6-4 lead which he defends in the second period and win.

10:25: After the early repechage rounds, the qualifications of the four Freestyle weights are underway here. If you are wondering why there is a time change for the start of the competition, the daylight saving have commenced in Europe.