Iran League

Gadzhimagomedov, Karimi, Kurbanaliev Give Iran FS League Title to Bimeh

By Ali Feizasa

GORGAN CITY, Iran - Using Russian and Iranian stars, Bimeh Razi Babol captured the 2018 Iran Freestyle League title, earning a 26-15 victory over Setaregan Sari in the final match in Gorgan city.

Sari's team opened up the finals with back-to-back wins from Nader HAJAGHANIA (IRI) and Mehran SHEIKHI (IRI) 57kg and 61kg respectively. After a 5-3 Hajaghania win at 57kg, Sheikhi (Sari) defeated three-time Asian champion and runner-up Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) (Bimeh), 5-2 at 61kg. 

 

Then, Asian champion (2016) Meysam NASIRI (IRI) downed Farzad AMOUZAD (IRI), 6-2, giving Bimeh their first team victory. Russia's 2016 world champion Magomed Kurbanaliev, who was one of the three Russian wrestlers on Bimeh, defeated YEGANEH JAFARI at 70kg by technical fall, 15-4, giving his squad their second victory in a row. 

In the fifth match, it was Hossein ELYASI (IRI) who kept Sari's hopes alive, beating Reza AFZALI, 6-4, breaking the two to two tie and giving Sari the 3-2 lead. 

Russia's 79kg Budapest world team member and 2018 world bronze medalist, Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), demolished Fariborz BABAEI (IRI), 10-0, evening the bout up at three apiece. 

Alireza KARIMI (IRI), who won 2018 world bronze medal at 92kg, stepped on the mat at 86kg and earned a victory by fall against Masoud MADADI (IRI) to give Bimeh their fourth victory and the outright lead for the first time of the dual. 

Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (IRI) (Bimeh), the 2018 Asian champion, had an easy time against Sina GHOLAMI (IRI) (Sari) in the 92kg bout, defeated him 8-3. Then, 2018 European champion Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) secured the finals victory for Bimeh by winning over Iran's 2017 world team member, Amir MOHAMMADI, 6-0.

At heavyweight, former world junior champion Jaber SADEGHZADEH (IRI) (Sari) won the match against Abbas FOROUTAN (IRI) (Bimeh), 8-7, but it was useless for his side, and Bimeh Razi defeated Setaregan Sari 26-15 to capture 2018 Iran Freestyle League Title.

Meanwhile, the host team, Shahrsazi Golestan, beat Petroshimi Behshahr, 26-6 in the third-place bout. 

Final Match: Bimeh Razi Babol df. Setaregan Sari, 26-15 (6-4)
57kg- Nader HAJAGHANIA (Sari) df. Mehran REZAZADEH (Bimeh), 5-3
61 kg- Mehran SHEIKHI (Sari) df. Behnam EHSANPOUR (Bimeh), 5-2
65 kg- Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Farzad AMOUZAD (Sari), 6-2 
70 kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Mohammad Mehdi YEGANEH JAFARI (Sari) by TF, 15-4
74 kg- Hossein ELYASI (Sari) df. Reza AFZALI (Bimeh), 6-4
79 kg- Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Fariborz BABAEI (Sari) by TF, 10-0
86 kg- Alireza KARIMI (Bimeh) df. Masoud MADADI (Sari) by FALL
92 kg- Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Sina GHOLAMI (Sari), 8-3
97 kg- Vladislav BAITSAEV(Bimeh) df. Amir MOHAMMADI (Sari), 6-0
125 kg- Jaber SADEGHZADEH (Sari) df. Abbas FOROUTAN (Bimeh), 8-7

Third Place Match: Shahrsazi Golestan df. Petroshimi Behshahr, 26-6 
57kg- Alireza HATAMI (Petroshimi) df. Pourya TORKAMAN (Golestan), 6-0
61 kg-  Mohammad RAMEZANPOUR (Petroshimi) df. Kheirollah GHAHREMANI (Golestan), 6-3
65 kg- Shayan HAMZEH (Petroshimi) df. Milad TAHMASEBIZADEH (Golestan), 5-1
70 kg- Hamidreza SARGOU (Golestan) df. Mojtaba AMOUZAD (Petrohimi), 2-1
74 kg-  Masoud KAMARVAND (Golestan) df. Hamed RASHIDI (Petroshimi), 4-2
79 kg- Mohammad Javad HAMIDI (Golestan) df. Mehrshad AKBARI (Petroshimi) by TF, 10-0
86 kg- Ahmad BAZRI (Petroshimi) df. Arash NAYERABADI (Golestan),5-1
92 kg- Esmaeil MAHMOUDI (Golestan) df. Ali MOJERLOU (Petroshimi) by FALL
97 kg- Hossein RAMEZANIAN (Golestan) df. Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Petroshimi) by forfeit
125 kg- Seyed Ahmad RASOULI (Golestan) df. Abazar ESLAMI (Petroshimi), 3-2

Semi finals:
Bimeh Razi Babol df. Petroshimi Behshar, 32-7

57kg- Mehran REZAZADEH (Bimeh) df. Alireza HATAMI (Petroshimi), 8-5
61 kg-Behnam EHSANPOUR (Bimeh) df. Mohammad RAMEZANPOUR (Petroshimi), 9-0
65 kg- Meysam NASIRI (Bimeh) df. Meysam HEYDARI (Petroshimi), 7-0
70 kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Bimeh) df. Mojtaba AMOUZAD (Petroshimi) by TF, 10-0
74 kg- Reza AFZALI (Bimeh) df. Hamed RASHIDI (Petroshimi), 4-3
79 kg- Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (Bimeh) df. Mohammad ZAREI (Petroshimi)by TF, 11-0
86 kg- Alireza KARIMI (Bimeh) df. Ahmad BAZRI (Petroshimi), 6-5
92 kg- Mohammad Javad EBRAHIMI (Bimeh) df. Ali MOJERLOU (Petroshimi), 3-2
97 kg- Hamed TALEBI ZARRINKAMAR (Petroshimi) df. Vladislav BAITSAEV(Bimeh), 4-3
125 kg- Abbas FOROUTAN (Bimeh) df. Amir Reza AMIRI (Petroshimi) by FALL

Setaregan Sari df. Shahrsazi Golestan, 23-18
57kg- Nader HAJAGHANIA (Sari) df. Pourya Torkaman (Golestan) by FALL
61 kg- Mehran SHEIKHI (Sari) df. Mehdi ESHGHI (Golestan), 4-0
65 kg- Farzad AMOUZAD (Sari) df. Milad TAHMASEBIZADEH (Golestan), 4-1
70 kg- Hamidreza SARGOU (Golestan) df. Mohammad Mehdi YEGANEH JAFARI (Sari), 3-1
74 kg- Hossein ELYASI (Sari) df. Masoud KAMARVAND (Golestan), 6-4
79 kg- Mohammad Javad HAMIDI (Golestan) df. Fariborz BABAEI (Sari), 3-2
86 kg- Masoud MADADI (Sari) df. Seyed Ali MOUSAVI (Golestan), 5-4
92 kg- Esmaeil MAHMOUDI (Golestan) df. Sina GHOLAMI (Sari), 8-2
97 kg- Amir MOHAMMADI (Sari) df. Hossein RAMEZANIAN (Golestan), 7-1
125 kg- Seyed Ahmad RASOULI (Golestan) df. Jaber SADEGHZADEH (Sari) by forfeit.

Saravi, Hedayati win gold to cap Iran's dominance at ISG 2025

By Vinay Siwach

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 19) -- If there was battle for the most dominant wrestler among the Iranian wrestlers, it would be a close one. Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) won Asian and World Championships and a Ranking Series gold before winning the gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 on Tuesday.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won gold at Zagreb Ranking Series, gold at senior and U23 World Championships and like Esmaeili, gold at ISG 2025.

On Wednesday, Olympic and world champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) also joined that list as he won gold medal at 97kg at ISG in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Saravi has been unstoppable this year, just like Esmaeili and Farokhi, winning Ranking Series gold, and gold medals at the Asian and World Championships. In Riyadh, he showed why he has been so good this year.

In one of the marquee matches of the night, Saravi held his own to beat world bronze medalist Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) in the 97kg final.Saravi and Ahmadiyev were clearly a notch up the field in Riyadh in their weight class and reached the final with ease. But when the two clashed, Saravi clearly had a gameplan to not get caught in any upset.

Ahmadiyev had pinned Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) at the World Championships after a block when the Armenian was trying a gut wrench. So when Saravi got the chance in par terre in the final, he only tried a gut wrench once and then let the referee call neutral.

Saravi went into the break leading 3-0. He was called passive in the second period and put in par terre but he defend the position and gave only one point. As Ahmadiyev struggled with his conditioning, Saravi managed to score two stepouts and win the gold medal with a 5-1 score.

The Iranian has now not lost since the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, extending his winning run to over two years.

At 130kg, rising star Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) too has a great winning run. Since his U20 World Championships final loss in 2022, Hedayati has not lost an international bout and capped his 2025 season with gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025.

Placed in Group A of the Nelson bracket, Hedayati topped his group before winning the semifinal with ease. In the final, he faced Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY), who the Iranian defeated in the first group bout 3-0.

If that was a warm-up win, Hedayati showed what he is capable of, winning the final in just 35 second via fall against Abdellatif. He began with a four-point throw which was challenged by Egypt only to lose the challenge.

Leading 5-0, Hedayati hit an arm-throw for two points before dragging Abdellatif for another takedown with his back on the mat. Hedayati held the Egyptian in that position and secured the fall to end the match and capture the gold medal.

Three women's wrestling weight classes were also in action on Wednesday in Riyadh and three different countries won gold medals.

At 50kg, Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) needed a hip-toss in the last 30 seconds to score four points against Miesinnei GENEISI (NGR) and take a 5-1 lead. The Uzbekistan wrestler led 1-0 at the break after Geneisi's passivity. But the Nigerian took an 1-1 criteria lead in the last minute when Keunimjaeva was called passive.

Desperate to find an opening, Keunimjaeva locked both of Geneisis' arms and tossed her for four points, taking a 5-1 lead and defending it to win the gold medal.

The winning country was reversed in the 53kg final as Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) defeated Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 11-1, to win the gold medal.

Akhmedova failed to match the power of Ogunsanya who kept scoring with counter takedowns. She scored a takedown and a turn using lace to win the bout 11-1.

The final gold medal of the night went to former U23 world champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) who defeated European silver medalist Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) in the 57kg final.

Aliyeva, who had defeated Suleyman in Round 1 bout as well, faced the Turkish wrestler again and maintained a 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

97kg
GOLD: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 5-1

BRONZE: Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR) df. Mohamed GABR (EGY), 3-1
BRONZE: Rouabah FADI (ALG) df. Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY), via fall (9-0)

BRONZE: Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) df. Roman KIM (KGZ), 11-2

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) df. Miesinnei GENEISI (NGR), 5-1

BRONZE: Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Chebila CHEIMA (ALG), 7-0

53kg
GOLD: Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) df. Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB), 11-1

BRONZE: Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ) df. Yusma DESWITA (INA), via fall (3-0
BRONZE: Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ) df. Vatansulton SHAKARSHOEVA (TJK), 14-3

57kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR), 6-2

BRONZE: Tekouk ACHOUAK DJAMILA (ALG) df. Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), via fall (14-3)