#WrestleZagreb

Masoumi, Snyder win Zagreb Open golds unscathed

Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 17:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) has announced his claim for the 125kg world title.

Soon after win the gold medal at 125kg at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series on Thursday in the Arena Zagreb, Masoumi announced that he 'win the World Championships gold medal at the same hall."

"I hope that this year I can have a good match to become a national champion, and in the same hall, I will also win the gold medal in the 2025 World Championships," he said after winning gold medal at 125kg at the Zagreb Open.

Last year, Masoumi finished with a silver medal after suffering a loss to Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) in the final. But before that he had a close match with Paris Olympian Mason PARRIS (USA).

Thursday was different. He gave no chance to Parris and rolled to a 10-0 win inside first period, a rare phenomenon in the super heavyweight class.

"The match I had last year with Parris and to this year, I was able to have an easy and good match by following a few points that my coaches told me," he said.

Though he is certain of winning the gold medal at the September World Championships, Masoumi has to go through Olympic silver medalist and world champion Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) at 125kg domestically.

"Zare and I are two of the top heavyweights in Iran," he said. "We're scheduled to wrestle each other in two months. I hope that whoever wins that match will represent Iran's heavyweight division at the competition."

Zare defeated Masoumi in the Zagreb Open final last year to confirm his ticket to Paris Olympics. This is was the third meeting between the two and Masoumi is yet to record a win against Zare.

"I chose to come to Zagreb because last year I wrestled Zare in the final, and I came in second place," Masoumi said. "This year, by using the advice I've received, I was able to win gold in this tournament."

Another silver medalist from last year, Kyle SNYDER (USA), returned to the top of the podium. Snyder had lost to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the 97kg final in 2023 but defeated Abofazl BABALOO (IRI) 12-1 in the final on Thursday to pocket the gold medal.

In his earlier bouts, Snyder blanked Richard VEGH (HUN), 10-0, and Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 11-0.

In other results, Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) must have the memories of the 2021 U23 World Championships semifinals flashing before him as he took on Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the final at 92kg. Firouzpour was caught in a leg lace in that semifinal and trailed 8-0, a deficit he failed to cover and lost 10-7.

But on Thursday, it was Firouzpour who got the better of Nurmagomedov, beating him 11-4 for the gold medal. Firouzpour got an 8-2 lead after launching a gut wrench and despite a few strokes of brilliance from Nurmagomedov, he kept the Azerbaijan wrestler quiet and won his second Ranking Series gold medal and third overall.

Nurmagomedov had earlier defeated Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) 6-5 in the semifinal for a come-from-behind win and also grabbed the spot at 92kg for the European Championships.

Veteran Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) used his experience to beat 18-year-old U20 world champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) 5-3 in the 79kg final, frustrating Yousefi with his defense.

Khadjiev also became the first male wrestler from France to win gold medal at a Ranking Series. Only Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) has won gold before at a Ranking Series (Zagreb Open 2023 and 2021 Poland Open).

Khadjiev raced to a 4-0 lead at the break with a takedown and gut wrench as Yousefi failed to find an opening in the first period. But he managed to get Khadjiev tired and scored an arm-bar exposure for two points to cut the lead to 4-2. Khadjiev stopped another such attempt and snapped Yousefi on the edge and scored a stepout to extend his lead to 5-2.

A stepout gave one point to Yousefi with 17 seconds left on the clock but he failed to score a takedown needed for a win and settled for the second place.

Women's Wrestling

Three months after winning a bronze medal at the World Championships, 34-year-old Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) added a Ranking Series gold medal to her name as she defeated another veteran Samantha STEWART (CAN), 6-2, in 55kg final.

At 50kg, Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) remained unbeaten in the three bouts of the round-robin bracket to emerge as the gold medal. Lithuania's first-ever Olympian in Women's Wrestling Gabija DILYTE (LTU) won silver while Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) won bronze.

Photo

RESULTS

Freestyle

79kg
GOLD: Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI), 5-3

BRONZE: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), 7-0
BRONZE: Rocco WELSH (USA) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 9-3

92kg
GOLD: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 11-4

BRONZE: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 9-2 
BRONZE: Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA) df. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), 9-1

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Richard VEGH (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: Jonathan AIELLO (USA) df. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO), via inj. def.

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Mason PARRIS (USA), 10-0
 
BRONZE: Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), 6-1
BRONZE: Hayden ZILLMER (USA) df.Trent HILLGER (USA), 10-3

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN)
SILVER: Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
BRONZE: Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)

55kg
GOLD: Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 6-2

BRONZE: Roza SZENTTAMASI (USA) df. Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), via fall
BRONZE: Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN), 13-2

#WrestleZagreb

Buchanan spoils Yazdani’s return at Zagreb Open

Friday, February 6, 2026 - 00:58 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 5) -- For the modestly attended Zagreb Open 2026, Thursday brought a noticeable lift in attendance as Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) returned to competition.

Yazdani, who injured his shoulder in the Paris Olympics final, was returning 18 months and another surgery later. The Olympic champion at 74kg in 2016 and silver medalist at 86kg in 2020 and 2024, is now up at 97kg.

Over the past decade, Yazdani has enjoyed stardom with fans not just in Iran but across the globe.

So when a bulkier Yazdani walked out to the mat in Zagreb, his silhouette under the spotlights looked different. The 13 kilogram jump was clearly visible. There was no traditional jump from him before coming to the center of the mat.

Stephen BUCHANAN (USA)Stephen BUCHANAN (USA) launches Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) for a four-point throw. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Yazdani’s decision to switch Olympic weight classes was a move born out of necessity, especially after two shoulder surgeries.

In the early rounds of the Zagreb Open, the experiment seemed to be working. The signature underhooks were there, the gas tank seemed fine and his movement, despite the bulk, did not seem unnatural.

Before reaching the final, Yazdani had seen off his opponents with rather ease. He scored points via stepouts, takedowns and go-behind in typical Yazdani fashion. He gave up only four points in his three bouts and reached the final without much trouble.

But then he hit a wall.

In the second period of the final, Yazdani's underhooks stopped working and his gas tank showed a leak. His movement became slower although his mind wanted him to be quick against Stephen BUCHANAN (USA).

Buchanan matched Yazdani for position and let Yazdani take only a 2-1 lead at the break. But he caught Yazdani in the second period and launched the Iranian for a suplex for four. It's rare for Yazdani to be thrown around like that.

And with him falling behind 5-2, Yazdani tried to attack more and that's when opportunities for Buchanan opened up as he scored three takedowns and two steps, beating Yazdani 13-3 and capturing the gold medal in Zagreb.

This was Yazdani's only tenth loss at the senior level and first to a U.S. wrestler other than David TAYLOR (USA). It was also the first a wrestler defeated Yazdani via technical superiority.

With Buchanan's gold, the United States finished the tournament with five gold medals in Freestyle.

Trent HIDLAY (USA)Trent HIDLAY (USA) scores a takedown against Mobin AZIMI (IRI). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

World champion at 92kg Trent HIDLAY (USA) forfeited his final against Mobin AZIMI (IRI). But Hidlay had defeated the Iranian 5-5 in their round robin bout.

Hidlay, known for his insane comeback in bouts, was down 5-0 against Azimi when he mounted a comeback. He scored a takedown and then a point to make it 5-3. He then scored a step out on Azimi which cut the lead to 5-4. Iran challenged the stepout call but lost it to tie the score 5-5 with Hidlay holding criteria. Hidlay then defended his criteria for the rest of the bout.

In another bout against an Iranian, Hidlay came back from 8-0 down to beat Abofazl RAHAMANI (IRI) 11-9 as he took the top spot in his group.

Rahamani and Azimi clashed as well in the round robin and it was Azimi who scored a takedown in the final seconds to beat his compatriot 4-3 and finish second in the group.

Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) pins Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 125kg, Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) is quickly emerging as the biggest challenger to world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) at the weight class.

Sharipov captured the gold medal at 125kg with a incredible cradle and turk position against Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA). Shapirov locked Hendrickson in a leg-turn and then turned him on his back, keeping him down and securing the fall.

With a dominant performance in Zagreb, the Bahrain wrestler has put his name as a serious medal threat at the 2026 World Championships that will be held in Bahrain in October.

European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) defended his gold medal from 2025, winning a close 4-4 final against Dean HAMITI (USA) at 79kg.

Khadjiev was leading 4-1 when he was put on the activity clock. As the clock expired and he failed to score, Khadjiev also gave up a takedown which tied the score 4-4. But the French wrestler get the criteria due to his two two-point scoring moves.

RESULTS

Freestyle

79kg
GOLD: Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Dean HAMITI (USA), 4-4

BRONZE: Evan WICK (USA) df. Daniel BRAUNAGEL (USA), 8-6
BRONZE: Adel PANAEIAN (IRI) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), via fall

92kg
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Trent HIDLAY (USA), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Dustin PLOTT (USA) df. Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA), 6-1

97kg
GOLD: Stephen BUCHANAN (USA) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 13-3

BRONZE: Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) df. Richard VEGH (HUN), 12-2
BRONZE: VICKY (IND) df. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), 8-2

125kg
GOLD: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA), via fall

BRONZE: Mortaza JANMOHAMMADZADEH (IRI) df. Robert BARAN (POL), 8-4
BRONZE: DINESH (IND) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), via fall

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) df. NEELAM (IND), 5-2

BRONZE: MUSKAN (IND) df. Agata GOLUCHOWSKA (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW) df. Natalia WALCZAK (POL), 9-6

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 6-0

BRONZE: Nagisa HARADA (JPN) df. Beatrice FERENT (ROU), 2-1
BRONZE: Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA) df. Amani JONES (USA), 4-0