2012 Olympian/four-time World Team member Ellis Coleman‘s (Army/WCAP) 63 kg debut was a successful one, as well as a statement-making performance that delivered to the US their lone medalist on the opening day of Greco at the year’s first “Ranking Series” event.
Day 1 of the ’25 Grand Prix Zagreb Open began at 10:00am local time from Zagreb, Croatia (4:00am ET) and streamed live in the US on FLOWrestling.
Coleman was one of four Americans who competed on Friday along with two-time Olympian/multi-time World rep Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP), U20 World silver Otto Black (CTT/Hawkeye WC), and ’20 Olympian/two-time World Teamer Alex Sancho (67 kg, Army/WCAP). Like Coleman, Hafizov and Black also entered the tournament at 63 kg but both failed to advance past the first round.
Coleman stumbled in his opening match, as well. Facing freshly-minted U23 World silver Dinislam Bammatov (AIN), Coleman surrendered a step-out, passivity point, and correct hold in the first period and trailed 5-0 at the break. Bammatov was unable to pile up multi-point scores, but that did not stop him from managing to score three more points to walk away the 8-0 winner. The Russian prospect then breezed to the finals, thus pulling Coleman into repechage.
Another top young antagonist was waiting for him — U23 World Champion Vitalie Eriomenco of Moldova, who earlier in the day had decisioned Black by a score of 4-0. Could have been a decent test. It was expected to be one. Instead, Coleman aced Eriomenco, and the destruction arose from top par terre. Eriomenco was dinged for passive, and Coleman achieved his elbow-to-elbow gutwrench before gaining four rotations to put the match on ice in the first period.
While that victory for Coleman was bereft of suspense, his appearance in the bronze round against Azerbaijan’s Ziya Babashov delivered the opposite effect. The whole thing was tense, particularly in the second period, and especially as the match ebbed towards its conclusion.
For the second bout in a row, Coleman received the first-period passivity/par terre chance. But this time, he could not quite gather a turn as Babashov had defended adequately from bottom, shifting his legs and keeping his torso pasted to the tarp. It was 1-0 for the US heading into Period 2 and, soon enough, the passives flipped. Babashov worked for a crash gut and eventually executed a short lift off the edge for one point and 2-1 advantage. Time was of the essence upon the reset and Coleman jockeyed in the ties. He was just looking for a handle. Previously in the contest, he had ever-so-briefly felt for a headlock but did not have the pocket. Still, that fleeting attempt must have remained in his memory because — in a flash, and with less than :30 on the clock — Coleman whammed a headlock that was immediately good for four huge points. That made the score 5-2 favoring Coleman, though Babashov did reverse to net a point back. But it would be rendered inconsequential. Coleman stuck it out the rest of the way to collect the 5-3 decision and his first career medal, bronze, from Zagreb.
Black, Hafizov, & Sancho
Black, though held scoreless in the affair, acquitted himself well against Eriomenco and did not give up any points from par terre bottom, which is an important marker for US prospects. Eriomenco accumulated his points via passivity and three step-outs. The Moldovan was downed by Bammatov in the next round.
Hafizov and Erfan Jarkani (IRI) engaged in an offense-friendly affair. Jarkani led 3-0 after the first period on the strength of a passive and turn. Hafizov was the beneficiary of the second passivity/PT call, and used his reliable high-gut waterfall to score two points; but on his second try with the hold, Jarkani reversed position. Not long after, a throw attempt from the Iranian took both athletes off the boundary and gave way to a long officials’ conference following a US challenge. It came down to point distribution. Ultimately, the score was updated to 7-5 for Iran, and Hafizov was unable to negotiate a late attack that might have changed the outcome. Jarkani was defeated by Islomjon Bakhramov (UZB) in the proceeding round to eliminate Hafizov from re-entry in the tournament via repechage.
Sancho — Zagreb gold in ’17 — put together a strong effort opposite Daniial Agaev (AIN/RUS) in a match that, as is so often the case, came down to par terre. Sancho grabbed the bout’s first passivity/PT shot but his attempt from top was stymied. In the second period, Agaev’s opportunity from par terre delivered a turn, thus making the score 3-1. Sancho battled for position and possible scoring attempts through the remainder but the Russian deflected his overtures. Agaev was decisioned by Mohammadreza Gholami (IRI) in the next round to eliminate Sancho from the tournament.
Notes
— Day 2 will see only one USA competitor — two-time World Team member Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP) at 87 kg. Woods will square off against Croatia’s Ivan Huklek in the qualification round.
— The schedule for Day 2 (and 3) is the same as Day 1, with action beginning at 10:00am local time (4:00am ET). All matches can be viewed live in the US on FLOWrestling.
— Prior to Coleman earning bronze on Friday, the US had not had a Zagreb medalist since ’19, when Xavier Johnson impressively earned silver and G’Angelo Hancock walked away with bronze.
2025 Grand Prix Zagreb Open
February 7-9 — Zagreb, CRO
TEAM USA DAY 1 RESULTS
63 kg: Otto Black (CTT/Hawkeye WC) — 13th
LOSS Vitalie Eriomenco (MDA) 4-0
63 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP) — BRONZE
LOSS Dinislam Bammatov (AIN/RUS) 8-0, TF
WON Vitalie Eriomenco (MDA) 9-0, TF
WON Ziya Babbashov (AZE) 5-3
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — 11th
LOSS Erfan Jarkani (IRI) 7-5
67 kg: Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP) — 12th
LOSS Daniial Agaev (AIN/RUS) 3-1
TEAM USA DAY 2 DRAWS
87 kg: Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP)
vs. Ivan Huklek (CRO) — qualification round
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