On the strength of three solid wins on Tuesday, 2024 Olympian/’25 U23 World bronze Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS) had earned an opportunity to fight for gold but, earlier today, he came up just short of that objective.
The finals for the 2026 Benur Pashayan Memorial began at 6:00pm local time from Yerevan, Armenia (10:00am ET) and streamed live on YouTube.
Jacobson had defeated, in order, Vasili Buhlak (BLR), Adam Gardziola (POL), and ’22 U23 World silver Gevorg Tadevosyan (ARM) on Tuesday, which provided to him a trip to the 87 final opposite ’23 U20 World/’25 Asian Championships silver Yasin Ali Yazdi (IRI).
Passivity was levied on Jacobson in the first period and Yazdi capitalized with a gutwrench to go up 3-0. In Period 2, Jacobson worked to receive his own chance from top PT, which he did, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to garner a turn. Jacobson hustled through the remainder to try and crack a score of any variety, and Yazdi rebuffed his advances to hold on for the 3-1 tournament clinching victory.
Jacobson (far left) on the podium after earning silver at the Benur Pashayan International Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia. (Image: Armen Garamyan/YouTube)
Jacobson arrived in Armenia with Northern Michigan teammate Kenny Crosby (55 kg, NYAC/NTS) and ’25 World Team member Max Black (60 kg, NYAC), both of whom fell in their respective opening-round bouts on Tuesday. The duo of Crosby and Black are on this year’s U23 World Team.
Official scores and results will be published upon availability.
2026 Benur Pashayan International Memorial
June 30-July 1 — Yerevan, ARM
TEAM USA RESULTS
55 kg: Kenny Crosby (NYAC/NTS)
LOSS K. Moteodi (IRI)
60 kg: Max Black (NYAC)
LOSS Anvar Alliakhiarov (RUS)
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS) — SILVER
WON Vasili Buhlak (BLR)
WON Adam Gardziola (POL)
WON Gevorg Tadevosyan (ARM) 8-1
LOSS Yasin Yazdi (IRI) 3-1
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