UWW Ranking Series:
Iran lines up star-studded roster for Muhamet Malo event
World and Olympic champions will spearhead the Iranian wrestling squads when the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series tournament gets underway in Tirana, Albania, on February 26.
Mohammad-Hadi Saravi will make his first appearance since grabbing the Greco-Roman 97kg gold at the Paris Olympics last summer, with Iranian prodigy Saeid Esmaeili – a surprise gold winner in the Games – the favorite for the 67kg glory.
Having won the world 82kg title in Tirana last October, Mohammad-Ali Geraei will be back in the Albanian capital for the second Ranking Series event of the season, with Hungary’s Erik Szilvássy and Georgian Gela Bolkvadze, who stood behind the Iranian on the world podium, promising a thrilling battle for the ultimate prize.
Reigning world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Amin Mirzazadeh will headline the 130kg draw.
His performance will play a decisive part in settling the three-way debate – also featuring former world champion Ali-Akbar Yousefi and world U23 gold medalist Fardin Hedayati – for the Iranian superheavyweight spot in September’s World Championships.
World and Olympic silver medalist Alireza Mohmadi will be eager to make up for his final defeat against Semen Novikov in Paris, should he take on the Bulgarian in the 87kg contests, with Danish Turpal Bisultanov, who took the Olympic bronze, also in the mix.
Joining the five Iranians in the Greco-Roman squad are world silver medalist Pouya Dadmarz (55kg), world junior and under-23 champion Ali Ahmadi Vafa (60kg), two-time Asian silver medalist Mahdi Mohsennejad (63kg), Iman Mohammadi (72kg), and Abolfazl Mohmadi (77kg).
In the freestyle competitions, two Olympic silver medalists will be part of the Iranian nine-man team.
World superheavyweight champion Amirhossein Zare’, who was beaten by Georgian Geno Petriashvili in the final showdown in Paris, will be the wrestler to watch in the 125kg contests.
Givi Matcharashvili, also from Georgia, will be looking to throw down the gauntlet to the Iranian in his new weight class, having won the Olympic 97kg silver last year.
Meanwhile, Rahman Amouzad – runner-up to Japanese Kotaro Kiyooka in the Games – will take part in the 65kg event, which will feature some high-profile contestants, including Russian two-time world U23 champion Ibragim Ibragimov, Turkish Ahmet Duman – a world 61kg silver winner last October – and home-favorite Islam Dudaev, who was beaten by Amouzad in Paris before grabbing a consolation bronze.
Two-time world 92kg champion Kamran Qassempour will be back in his favorite territory after missing out on the 97kg podium in the Wrestling Worlds less than five months ago.
Mojtab Goleij – a world bronze winner in 2021 – will be joined by 20-year-old Erfan Alizadeh in representing the country in the 97kg contests, though American great Kyle Snyder will be the ultimate favorite for the gold medal.
Iran will also be represented by two wrestlers in the 74kg class: 2021 world bronze winner Younes Emami and Hossein Abouzari, who will be looking to improve on his Ranking Series silver in the 2024 Zagreb Open.
Ali Moeini, a bronze medalist in last October’s U23 Worlds, will compete in the 57kg contests alongside fellow-Iranian Hadi Rezaei.