World Championships 2026: Greco-Roman 130kg, 72kg, 97kg Highlights

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 25) -- The second day of the World Championships will see three more Greco-Roman weight classes on the mat. Greco 72kg, 97kg and 130kg wrestlers will take the mat with returning champions Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Hadi SARAVI (IRI) hoping to defend their titles.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

14:20: Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR) and Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) with the match of the day at 130kg. Hlinchuk kept coming back after Mohamed hit him with a few big moves. Despite the counter attacks, Hlinchuk remained in the match and was down 9-8 at the break. But Hlinchuk hit two four-point throws in the second period to win 18-9

14:09: Darius VITEK (HUN) gets a stepout, takedown and passivity point in the first period, and that's all it takes for a 4-0 victory over Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB) to advance to the 130kg semifinals. 

14:08: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) may still leave Astana with his 11th career world medal at 130kg, but it will be bronze at best after Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the early session. Kuosmanen, a returning bronze medalist,  caught the five-time world champion with a 4-point arm throw right off the bat, and milked it for a 5-3 victory  to book his spot in the semifinals. After Kuosmanen hits his big-point move, Kayaalp quickly reverses, then hits a gut wrench to cut the lead to 4-3. In the second period, Kuosmanen receives a passivity point, and then holds on for the historic win in his first career clash with Kayaalp.

14:05: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), in his first World Championships, reaches the 130kg semifinals with a 8-0 win over U23 world champion Wenhao JIANG (CHN). Hedayati pressured Jiang into giving up takedowns and easily gets the win.

13:58: The reign of defending 72kg champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) ends cruelly and painfully. Ganizade had just scored a 4-point pancake with 30 seconds left to take a 6-5 lead over Mingiian GORIAEV (RUS), but injured his right knee in the process. He continued the match, but easily gave up a takedown while collapsing to the mat in pain, giving Goriaev a 7-6 lead. It officially goes down as an injury default, and Ganizade leaves the mat on a stretcher. Goriaev, who trailed 2-0 at the break, had gone ahead 5-2 with a 4-point throw from par terre. 

13:55: Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) advances to the 72kg semifinals, and gains a bit of revenge in the process. Vancza fails to score after receiving a passivity point in the first period, but follows soon after with a takedown that gives him a 3-0 victory over Parviz NASIBOV (UKR). The bout was a rematch of the 2024 European Olympic qualifying final that Nasibov won 5-4 before going on to win the silver medal in Paris.

13:55: Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ) managed to challenge Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) throughout the match but the Georgian wrestler caught Amanbek and completed a four-point throw. He then hit a turn to score two more points. Amanbek got the par terre and turn but Lomadze won 6-3 to move into the 72kg semifinals.

13:45: Danial SOHRABI (IRI), the returning bronze medalist, hit a four-point suplex after a takedown and turns Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) for a quick win. A lost challenge made his score 9-0 and he moves into the semifinals at 72kg

13:30: Returning bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) makes sure he will wrestle for a medal again after a thrilling 4-3 win over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), scoring a point with 20 seconds left. Ahmadiyev committed a leg foul which gave a 3-1 lead to Maskevich. But Ahmadiyev scores a takedown to lead 3-3, however Maskevich keeps at it and manages a stepout to pull off a win

13:34: Artur SARGSIAN (RUS) continues his quest to add a world gold to his silver from 2025 and bronze from 2021 by moving into the 97kg semifinals with a 4-0 victory over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE). Sargsian scores a takedown and gut wrench in the first period, which completes the scoring for the match.

13:33: Hadi SARAVI (IRI), the reigning world champion, gets an easy and controlled 5-0 win over Anton VIEWEG (GER). He gets both par terre positions and scores a takedown as well to win the match.

13:29: Kiril MILOV (BUL) quiets the home crowd with a victory by fall over Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) to advance to the 97kg semifinals. Put on top in par terre, Milov gets the roll, but doesn't stop there. He shifts to a bear hug and powers Yevloyev to his back, where he applies the coup de grace to end the match at 1:49.

13:22: Asian bronze medalist Wenhao JIANG (CHN) scores a stepout with 1:03 left to notch a 4-3 victory over  former world champion Sergei SEMENOV (RUS) and advance to the 130kg quarterfinals. Jiang gets a gut wrench from par terre in the first period, but Semenov matches it to lead 3-3 on criteria until Jiang picks up the decisive point.

13:20: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), making his senior world debut, is into the quarterfinals after an 8-0 win over Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ). He scored the takedown before turning him two times. Another takedown finished the match 30 seconds before the end of the first period.

13:12: Twenty years after making his first appearance at the World Championships — and winning the first of two world golds —  41-year-old Heiki NABI (EST) comes oh-so-close to defeating returning silver medalist Darius VITEK (HUN), but comes out on the short end of a 1-1 decision by criteria. Put in second in par terre, Nabi appears to turn Vitek and is awarded 2, but on challenge, it was determined that Vitek's shoulders did not break the 90-degree plane. 

13:10: Riza KAYAALP (TUR), chasing his sixth world title, gets a 4-0 win over Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) at 130kg and moves into the quarterfinals.

13:02: Danial SOHRABI (IRI), aiming to improve on his bronze medal from 2025, gets his opening match at 72kg started against Henrik DAHLEN (SWE) with a pair of stepouts. He gets a passivity point but can't convert, then adds a third stepout to take a 4-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Sohrabi has a 4-point move wiped out on challenge, but no matter. He gets behind for a takedown, then tosses Dahlen for 4 to end the match 10-0 at 3:57. 

13:00: Rafael TSITSUASHVILI (UZB), Asian silver medalist, hangs on for a 1-1 criteria victory over Sulkhan BUIDZE (GEO) after getting the first par terre position advantage. 

12:44: Returning bronze medalist Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR) scores five early points, then hangs on for a 6-2 victory over Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) to advance to the 130kg quarterfinals. 

12:32: Two-time defending champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) begins his bid for a three-peat at 72kg by scoring two 4-point throws in a 9-4 victory over a gutsy but overmatched Rintaro SOGABE (JPN). Sogabe chalked up three stepouts to go with a passivity point that could show Ganizade's liability from a stamina standpoint. 

12:30: Defending champion and Olympic gold medalist Hadi SARAVI (IRI) gets his campaign started at 97kg with an 8-0 victory over Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) to advance to the quarterfinals. Saravi, aiming for a third career world title, bulls Khloyan over for a 4-point takedown. He adds a gut wrench from par terre, then ends the match with a stepout with three seconds to spare in the first period. 

12:15: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), aiming to keep the 130kg title in Iranian hands, advances after Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU) defaults 11 seconds into their first-round match. Immediately after Hedayati scores a 4-point takedown, Fridrikas signals he was injured. After consulting the medical staff, it is determined he could not continue.

12:11: Former world champion and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Sergei SEMENOV (RUS) strings together four gut wrenches from par terre to finish off Moises PEREZ (VEN) 8-0 in 1:53 in their 130kg first-round match.

12:08: Riza KAYAALP (TUR), returning to the World Championships after three years, begins with a 9-0 win over Joginder RATHEE (IND) at 130kg. Rathee was put in par terre and Kayaalp just gut wrenches him four times to win.

12:07: In one of the marquee matches of the morning session, 2022 world silver medalist Kiril MILOV (BUL) repeats his victory from the 97kg final at this year's European Championships over Alex SZOKE (HUN), scoring from par terre in the first period and hanging on for a 3-2 victory.

12:00: Abror ATABAEV (UZB), leading 7-3, gets caught by Mingiian GORIAEV (RUS) in par terre and the Russian rolled the Uzbek wrestler four times to overtake and win 15-7 via technical superiority at 72kg

11:51: European bronze medalist Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) scores a takedown with 1:03 left, then hangs on for a 5-5 victory on big-point criteria over Franz RICHTER (GER) at 130kg. Vyshnyvetskyi opens with a front headlock roll from par terre, but falls behind 3-3 when Richter counters a throw for 2 and the Ukrainian side unsuccessfully challenges. In the second period, Richter adds a passivity point, but the Ukrainian goes ahead with his takedown. A stepout by Richter is too little, too late. 

11:40: Five-time Asian medalist and 2018 world bronze medalist Minseok KIM (KOR) falls at the first hurdle at 130kg, as Sulkhan BUIDZE (GEO) gets a quick 4-point takedown before cruising to a 9-0 victory. 

11:35: Rintaro SOGABE (JPN), competing internationally for just the second time (fifth at the 2024 Asian U20) counters a throw attempt from par terre by Karanjit SINGH (IND) for 2 points, then holds on for a 3-2 win to advance at 72kg. 

11:30: Kiril MILOV (BUL), a two-time world silver medalist, begins his 97kg campaign with an 10-0 win over Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) after he uses an arm spin to score four points against the Kozliuk.

11:12: Two-time Olympic medalist Parvis NASIBOV (UKR) appears to be conserving energy, but needs a second period to defeat Jose VARELA (GUA) 8-0 in their first-round match at 72kg. Nasibov scores a takedown and two exposures in the first period, but bides his time before casually scoring the winning takedown midway through the second.

11:10: Paris Olympic bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) managed to push Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU) in the final 20 seconds of the match to take a 3-2 lead but Lithuania challenge the call the stepout is called foul and Venckaitis wins 2-2 criteria at 97kg

11:02: Asian bronze medalist Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) is the one who is shaken up after he throws Mohamed GABR (EGY) for a 4-point throw, but after an injury timeout, he shrugs it off and finishes up a 5-1 victory to advance at 97kg. 

11:00: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), the 2024 world U23 champion and a medalist at two ranking series events this year, puts together four exposures from par terre -- all of which are confirmed on challenge -- for a 10-0 victory over Hamza BOUMADIENE (MAR) in their first-round match at 97kg.

10:51: In a repechage match at 82kg, Asian champion Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) falls sadly short of getting a shot at his first senior world medal, losing 5-5 on criteria to Halishan BAHEJIANG (CHN). Bahejiang looks in control when he gets two rolls from par terre to lead 5-1 in the second period. But the Iranian-born Badaghimofrad gets a snap down-go behind takedown to cut the lead. A stepout and fleeing penalty point ties the match, but leaves Bahejiang ahead on big point criteria. He holds on to book a date in tonight's bronze-medal match against Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) -- who ironically shared the 77kg bronze medals with Badaghimofrad at the recent Asian Games in Japan.