Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series has kicked off in Tirana, the capital of Albania, AzerNEWS reports.

Five members of Azerbaijan's freestyle wrestling team took to the mat on the opening day, with three of them reaching the podium.

At 57 kg, Islam Bazarqanov delivered an impressive run. He defeated Germany's Niklas Stechele (3–2), American Liam Smith Cronin (5–0), and Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz (6–1) to advance to the semifinals. Although he fell to Russia's Ramiz Gamzatov (1–3) in the semifinal, Bazarqanov bounced back strongly in the bronze medal bout, overpowering India's Akshay Tanaji Dhere (9–2) to secure a place on the podium.

Rashid Babazada (65 kg) also showcased remarkable determination. He stormed past Germany's Nico Megerle (12–2), Bulgaria's Mikyay Salim Nayim (8–7), and Ecuador's Joshua Alexander Kramer (10–0) to book a semifinal berth.

In a dramatic clash for a spot in the final, Babazada faced U.S.-based world champion Vitali Arujau, an American of Azerbaijani descent. In a fiercely contested match, Babazada executed a decisive four-point move in the closing seconds to claim an 18–15 victory and advance to the final. There, he met India's Sujeet Sujeet, the reigning U23 world champion. Despite his efforts, Babazada was defeated 0–10, finishing the tournament with a silver medal.

At 74 kg, Kenan Heybatov was edged out in the round of 16 by Kyrgyz wrestler Orozbek Toktomambetov (1–3). Competing in the same weight category, Turan Bayramov also exited at the same stage, losing to American Quincy Monday (1–5).

In the 86 kg division, Arseniy Dzhioyev produced one of the standout performances of the day. He defeated Russia's world and two-time European champion Akhmed Usmanov (3–1) and Georgia's world and European medalist Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (6–4).

However, he narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a tight 2–3 loss to Russia's Ibragim Kadiev. Dzhioyev responded emphatically in the bronze medal match, overcoming American two-time Olympic medalist and four-time world champion Kyle Dake (4–1) to claim Azerbaijan's third medal of the tournament.

The 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series is a premier United World Wrestling event featuring international freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling.

The event is named in honor of Muhamet Malo, a respected figure in Albanian wrestling.

Around 500 wrestlers are competing in the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series.