Sanaye Win Iranian Freestyle League Title

Saturday, December 11, 2021 - 13:24 By Ali Feizasa

TEHRAN, Iran (December 11) --- Sanaye Mazandaran captured the '21 Iranian freestyle wrestling league team title, while 13 world and Olympic medalists competed in the final day at the Azadi Sport complex in Tehran, Iran.

Cornered by former world champion Reza Yazdani as their head coach, Sanaye Mazandaran enjoyed wins from Russian world champions Abasgadghi MAGOMEDOV and Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV. which helped their team beat Amol team, 6-4 in the final match.

Meanwhile, Iran's '21 world bronze medalist Mojtaba GOLEIJ and Amouzad brothers were key wrestlers for the champion team. Despite the Sanaye team missing 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR for the finals due to injury, '20 Asian silver medalist Ahmad BAZRI was a worthy successor for him and achieved two important victories.

In third-place match, Sahand Aras defeated Mazandaran Azad University, 9-1. World champion Zagir SHAKHIEV and three time world and Olympic bronze medal winner Artur Naifonov were Russian stars of Aras team.

Russian world champion Shakhiev loses to Iranian Olympian
During the semifinal match, current 65kg world champion Zagir Shakhiev from Aras team had a tough rival as Iranian Tokyo Olympian Morteza GHIASI succeed to the earn 6-4 victory. Shakhiev beat Hassan MORADGHOLI, helping his team to place third.

“Yesterday I had an injury during the training and I didn’t want to wrestle against Ghiasi but the team decided to send me on mat.” Shakhiev said. He added, “Everything is in high level in Ira's league but I am upset no to see Iranian fans in the hall. My motivation for coming Iran league was to wrestle in front of Iranian fans. Many expected to see my match with Amir Mohammad YAZDANI but his weight has moved up.”

Olympic 74kg silver medalist suffers deficit in 79kg
In the 79kg bout of the final match, '20 Olympics silver medalist in 74kg, Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU suffered a narrow loss against Ali SAVADKOUHI and couldn’t help his team's chance at winning the team title. “I liked to compete with Kadzimahamedau. Today I had a good day and I was motivated for this match.” Savadkouhi said.

But, the Dagestani-born wrestler of Belarus won the battle against 2021 world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI from Aras team, 8-7 in the semi final match.

Easy day for heavy weight world champion, Zare
Reigning heavyweight world champion Amirhossein ZARE appeared on mat for Amol team and had an easy day. The Iranian wrestler who had been named United World Wrestling’s Breakthrough Performance of the Year award winner, had a 5-0 victory against Esmaeil NEJATIAN but it was not enough for his team to win the final match. Zare was also the winner of the semi final by forfeit.

“It was a great sense to win the award of Breakthrough Performance of the Year. It was my first year in senior level and I am glad for winning Olympic medal and world heavy weight title. I hope to repeat it for many years” Zare said.

Four Russians remained invincible
Four Russian wrestlers remained invincible during the final day of the '21 season of Iran league.

The veteran Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (2015 & 2018 world champion) earned two victories for the championship Sanaye while his team member, 61kg world champion Abasgadghi Magomedov competed in 57kg and had two technical Fall victory over Iranian Olympian wrestler Reza ATRI and Reza MOMENI.

This year's world bronze medalist at 74kg, Timur BIZHOEV and Olympic bronze medalist Artur NAIFONOV were other Russian wrestlers who downed their rivals.

“There were good wrestlers in Iran league and the organization of that was in high level. I'd like to compete again in the Iran league.” Bizhoev said. Asking about his future in the world of wrestling, he answered: “There is no difference where I compete. I want to be champion in all upcoming events.”

Two Technical Fall Victory for Naifonov in absence of Yazdani
Despite the contract of Iranian superstar Hassan Yazdani with Amol team, he didn’t step on mat during the final day while, his Russian rival Artur Naifonov celebrated two technical fall victories. “Yazdani suffered some injuries after two high level events, so we preferred not to see him on mat during the final day of the league” said Iranian freestyle head coach Pejman DOROSTKAT.

Final Match: Sanaye Mazandaran df. Fooladin Zob Amol, 6-4
57kg: Abasgadghi Magomedov (Sanaye) TF. Reza Atri (Amol), 10-0
61kg: Rahman Amouzad (Sanaye) TF. Peyman Nemati (Amol), 10-0
65kg: Farzad Amouzad (Sanaye) df. Morteza Ghiasi (Amol), 2-2
70kg: Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (Sanaye) df. Erfan Elahi (Amol), 6-0
74kg: Timur Bizhoev (Amol) df. Jamal Ebadi (Sanaye), 6-0
79kg: Ali Savadkouhi (Sanaye) df. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Amol), 6-5
86kg: Ahmad Bazri (Sanaye) df. Hadi Vafaeipour (Amol), 11-0
92kg: Amir Hossein Firouzpour (Amol) df. Mohammad Javad Ebrahimi (Sanaye) by forfeit
97kg: Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian (Amol) df. Mojtaba Goleij (Sanaye), 2-2
125kg: Amirhossein Zare (Amol) df. Esmaeil Nejatian (Sanaye), 5-0

Third place match: Sahand Aras df. Mazandaran Azad University, 9-1
57kg: Alireza Sarlak (Aras) TF. Erfan Aeini (Azad Uni.), 10-0
61kg: Mohammad Ramezanpour (Aras) df. Mehdi Shirazi (Azad Uni.), 3-1
65kg: Zagir Shakhiev (Aras) df. Hassan Moradgholi (Azad Uni.), 6-2
70kg: Mohammad Bakhshi (Azad Uni.) df. Amirhossein Hosseini (Aras), 4-2
74kg: Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Aras) df. Sobhan Yari (Azad Uni.), 5-0
79kg: Mohammad Nokhodi (Aras) df. Bahman Teymouri (Azad Uni.), 4-0
86kg: Artur Naifonov (Aras) TF. Alireza Saberian (Azad Uni.), 10-0
92kg: Amirali Azarpira (Aras) df. Amir Mohammadi (Azad Uni.), 2-1
97kg: Danial Shariatinia (Aras) df. Meysam Abdi (Azad Uni.), 7-0
125kg: Amin Taheri (Aras) df. Ali Akbarpour (Azad Uni.), 3-0

Semifinals:
Match 1: Fooladin Zob Amol df. Sahand Aras, 8-2
57kg: Reza Atri (Amol) df. Alireza Sarlak (Aras), 4-4
61kg: Majid Ramezanpour (Aras) df. Peyman Nemati (Amol), 2-1
65kg: Morteza Ghiasi (Amol) df. Zagir Shakhiev (Aras), 6-4
70kg: Erfan Elahi (Amol) df. Amirhossein Hosseini (Aras), 7-4
74kg: Timur Bizhoev (Amol) df. Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Aras), 2-2
79kg: Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Amol) df. Mohammad Nokhodi (Aras), 8-7
86kg: Artur Naifonov (Aras) TF. Hadi Vafaeipour (Amol), 12-1
92kg: Amirhossein Firoozpour (Amol) df. Alireza Karimi (Aras), 2-1
97kg: Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Amol) TF. Amirali Azarpira (Aras), 10-0
125kg: Amirhossein Zare (Amol) df. Amin Taheri (Aras) by forfeit

Match 2: Sanaye Mazandaran df. Mazandaran Azad University, 9-1
57kg: Abasgadghi Magomedov (Sanaye) TF. Reza Momeni (Azad Uni.), 12-1
61kg: Rahman Amouzad (Sanaye) TF. Mehdi Shirazi (Azad Uni.)
65kg: Farzad Amouzad (Sanaye) df. Hassan Moradgholi (Azad Uni.), 5-2
70kg: Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (Sanaye) Tf. Farhad Nouri (Azad Uni.), 14-3
74kg: Jamal Ebadi (Sanaye) df. Hamed Rashidi (Azad Uni.), 7-3
79kg: Ali Savadkouhi (Sanaye) df. Bahman Teymouri (Azad Uni.), 4-3
86kg: Ahmad Bazri (Sanaye) TF. Alireza Saberian (Azad Uni.), 10-0
92kg: Amir Mohammadi (Azad Uni.) df. Sajad Gholami (Sanaye). 5-1
97kg: Esmaeil Nejatian (Sanaye) df. Meysam Abdi (Azad Uni.), 3-2
125kg: Mojtaba Goleij (Sanaye) df. Ali Akbarpour (Azad Uni.), 6-0

2026 U20 World Championships

U20 Worlds 2018 Freestyle Champs: Where are They Now

Friday, August 7, 2026 - 08:00 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (August 7) -- The U20 World Championships are back in Slovakia after eight years. The country hosted the U20 Worlds in 2018 at the Mestska Sports Hall in Trnava.

It was the first U20 World Championships with 10 weight classes in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman. Among the 30 U20 world champions from Trnava, a few went on to win Olympic and world gold medals at the senior level.

Watch the 2026 U20 World Championships on UWW+. Use code BUNDLE20 during checkout to get 20 percent discount.

Here's the list of the 10 Freestyle champions from the 2018 U20 World Championships and where are they now:

Wrestling Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS) — *Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS), 57kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

57kg: Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS): WATCH 57kg Final - Idrisov vs NAVEEN (IND)

Idrisov was making his international debut at the 2018 U20 World Championships and he won the gold medal. Idrisov went on a scoring run of 46-6 in five bouts that also included a 9-2 victory over Arsen HARUTYUNAYAN (ARM) in the semifinals.

The Russian wrestler returned for the 2019 U20 World Championships and won bronze. In 2021, he won gold at U23 European Championships but has not competed internationally since.

Wrestling Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) — *Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 61kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

61kg: Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS): WATCH 61kg Final - Magomedov vs TURMANIDZE (GEO)

Magomedov had one of the most dominant runs in Trnava, outscoring his opponents 50-4 in five bouts and winning gold. He had a breakout senior year in 2021 in which he won the gold medals at World and European Championships.

In 2023, Magomedov won silver medal at the World Championships and repeated as the European champion in 2024 before moving up to 65kg. After missing out on making the Russian team, Magomedov won the Russian National Championships in 2026 and will look to win his third world medal in Astana in October.

Wrestling Saiyn KAZYRYK (RUS) — *Saiyn KAZYRYK (RUS), 65kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

65kg: Saiyn KAZYRYK (RUS) - WATCH 65kg Final - Kazyryk vs MAGHSOUDI (IRI)

In one of the most memorable finals in the tournament, Kazyryk defeated Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI (IRI), 8-7, to win the gold medal. A year later, he finished ninth at the U23 European Championships. However, Kazyryk failed to transitioned to the senior level.

After a six year gap, Kazyryk managed to break into the Russia team and participated at the World Championships, only to finish 10th after losing to Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN).

70kg: Khadzimurad GADHIYEV (AZE) - WATCH 70kg Final - Gadzhiyev vs JAMALOV (RUS/UZB)

One of the wrestler who has a win over Olympic champion Razambek JAMALOV (UZB), Gadzhiyev was one of the most talked about wrestlers at U17 and U20 level. He won gold after a 4-3 win over Jamalov and then moved to 74kg in 2019, finishing with a bronze medal at U20 World Championships and seventh at the World Championships.

In 2021, he managed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics but an injury stopped him from participating. Two years later, he won bronze at the Zagreb and Budapest Ranking Series but has not competed since.

Wrestling Mekhi LEWIS (USA) — *Mekhi LEWIS (USA), 74kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

74kg: Mekhi LEWIS (USA) - WATCH 74kg Final - Lewis vs ABAKAROV (AZE)

Lewis competed at only one United World Wrestling tournament and won gold. Lewis won the 74kg gold after four wins, defeated Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) in the final. He recently competed at the Grand Prix of Spain, finishing fifth at 86kg. Lewis, in 2019, made history as Virginia Tech's first NCAA wrestling champion.

Wrestling Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) — *Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), 79kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

79kg: Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) - WATCH 79kg Final - Ishiguto vs BROOKS (USA)

Ishiguro won the gold medal after a thrilling final against Aaron BROOKS (USA) that he won 11-10. He would go on to be an Olympian. He competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics at 86kg and finished seventh. But his biggest achievement came in 2025 when he won the silver medal at the World Championships. Ishiguro has also won medals at the U23 World and Asian Championships.

Wrestling Arif OZEN (TUR) — *Arif OZEN (TUR), red, U20 world champion at 86kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

86kg: Arif OZEN (TUR) - WATCH 86kg Final - Ozen vs PUNIA (IND)

Ozen remains Turkiye's last U20 world champion in Freestyle. He won a close final against Deepak PUNIA (IND), 2-1. He moved up to 92kg but has failed to make the Türkiye team for UWW events. At this year Yasar Dogu tournament, he finished seventh at 92kg.

Wrestling Abbas FOROUTANRAMI (IRI) — *Abbas FOROUTANRAMI (IRI), 92kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

92kg: Abbas FOROUTANRAMI (IRI) - WATCH 92kg Final - Fouroutanrami vs YERGALI (KAZ)

The Iranian came to Trnava as U17 world silver and U20 Asia champion. He was among the favorites to win the gold medal and did not disappoint, winning four bouts and outscoring his opponents 40-3.

In 2019, Foroutanrami repeated as U20 world champion at 97kg, and later moved to 125kg in which he won gold at Yasar Dogu.

Wrestling Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) — *Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV, then competing for Russia, won 97kg gold. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

97kg: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (RUS/AZE) - WATCH 97kg Final - Magomedov vs ELAM (USA)

A bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Magomedov showed his class by outscoring his opponents 53-1 in five bouts, including a fall. That was his only tournament for Russia before he moved to Azerbaijan.

In 2022, Magomedov won gold at the European Championships, silver and bronze at the World Championships before going to Paris. He also has silver medals at European Championships and other Ranking Series medals. Currently, Magomedov is at 97kg but is challenged domestically in Azerbaijan.

Wrestling Soslan KHINCHAGOV (RUS) — *Soslan KHINCHAGOV (RUS), 125kg U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fyne)*

125kg: Soslan KHINCHAGOV (RUS) - WATCH 125kg Final - Khinchagov vs BARGHOUT (CAN)

Among the five Russian who won gold, Khinchagov won five bouts. He defeated Aly BARGHOUT (CAN), 7-0, in the final. While he did not compete at any UWW competitions since, Khinchagov failed to replicate his success domestically and did not make the senior team.

Sanaye Win Iranian Freestyle League Title

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U20 Worlds 2018 Freestyle Champs: Where are They Now