Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series:
Nokhodi wins 86kg freestyle gold, Rahmani bags bronze
Iranian freestyle wrestler Mohammad Nokhodi looked comfortable in his new weight class, claiming the gold medal in the 86kg event at the Ulaanbaatar Open on Saturday.
Nokhodi, a five-time world medalist, including three silver medals, opened his campaign with a 10-0 victory over Mongolia’s Byambadorj Bat Erdene. He followed that with another superiority win against India’s Aryan Aryan before defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Malik Shavaev 10-5 in an entertaining semifinal.
The Iranian was then awarded the gold medal after Bulgaria’s reigning Olympic champion Magomed Ramazanov – best known to Iranian fans for his victory over Hassan Yazdani in the Paris 2024 final – withdrew from the championship bout due to injury.
The title marked Nokhodi’s second Ranking Series gold medal of the year, following his triumph at February’s Muhamet Malo Tournament in Tirana.
Ramazanov, meanwhile, still enjoyed an impressive return to competition after more than a year on the sidelines, outscoring his opponents 23-2 on his way to the final.
Elsewhere on the opening day of the freestyle competition, Iran’s Abolfazl Rahmani claimed a bronze medal in the 92kg division in only his second international appearance at the class.
The former Asian 86kg champion lost his opening bout to two-time world bronze medalist Azamat Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan on criteria after a 4-4 tie, but bounced back to defeat Dauletbekov’s compatriot Bekzat Amangali 8-6 in the repechage before beating India’s Kumar Punit 4-0 in the bronze-medal match.
Saturday’s results followed a strong Greco-Roman campaign for the Iranian squad in the Mongolian capital.
Payam Ahmadi (55kg), Ali Ahmadi-Vafa (60kg) and Danial Sohrabi (72kg) won gold medals in their respective weight classes, while Sohrabi’s victory over compatriot Mohammad-Javad Rezaei in the final secured him a place on Iran’s team for October’s World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Mohammad-Mahdi Keshtkar (63kg) also booked his ticket to the World Championships despite forfeiting his final bout with a groin injury, thanks to a 6-2 victory over Asian silver medalist Erfan Jarkani in an all-Iranian second-round contest.