Tomorrow begins the Greco-Roman portion at the 2025 Grand Prix Zagreb Open in Zagreb, Croatia — United World Wrestling’s first “Ranking Series” event of the year.
For its marquee events, UWW pre-releases draws for each weight category and this season’s running of Zagreb continues this (recently-instituted) tradition. The United States will be sending ___ athletes onto the mat this weekend, ___ of whom will have an opening-round opponent. __ other Americans have a bye in the qualification round of their respective weight classes. This includes two-time World Team member Brady Koontz (55 kg, TMWC/Dubuque RTC), who is set to operate within an A/B pooled bracket.
USA Lightweights
55 kg: Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC)
Round 2 opponent: Peter Totok (HUN)
Round 3 opponent: Artium Deleanu (MDA)
Totok is still an age-group-eligible competitor and so he and Koontz do not share a prior history. Koontz has also not faced Deleanu yet, but the Moldovan has certainly established himself as a force over the past few years and in ’24 earned gold at the European Championships. Back in ’21, Taylor LaMont defeated Deleanu in the first round of the U23 Worlds by a score of 2-1.
60 kg: Max Black (NMU/NTS)
Bye to round-of-16 vs. either Sadyk Lalaev (AIN/RUS) or Alisher Ganiev (UZB)
One way or the other, Black will have his work cut out for him in his first match. Russia’s Lalaev is one of the sport’s top athletes in this weight class, had qualified 60 for the Paris Olympics, and bronzed this past fall at the non-Olympic Worlds. Ganiev, meanwhile, was a U23 World champ in ’24 as well as a Junior World bronze last year. These are two formidable foes, but that suits Black’s mentality. He is the type who looks forward to “step-up” opportunities and, either way, this sort of test right out of the gate fits that description.
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army/WCAP)
Qualification round opponent: Emin Sefershaev (AIN/RUS)
Sefershaev — ’21 World silver/’24 World bronze — has spent the brunt of his career at 55 kg with sporadic appearances at 60 during the previous quad. Therefore, Roberts has yet to get time on target against the Russian but it is a match-up that could favor the NMU grad, especially if the heat is turned up in the second period. A win against Sefershaev for Roberts would mean a pairing with either ’18 U20 World champ/well-experienced Pouya Naserpour (IRI) or ’24 World bronze Denis Mihai (ROU) — who like Sefershaev has mainly competed in the 55 kg class but is expected to provide just as many challenges at Olympic 60.
63 kg: Otto Black (CTT/Hawkeye WC)
Qualification round opponent: Vitalie Eriomenco (MDA)
Although ’24 U20 World silver Black collected a pair of Senior overseas medal in November, this tournament represents a significant climb in competitive level by comparison, which can be seen in his first-round draw, ’24 U23 World gold Eriomenco, who has also acquitted himself quite well in several Senior appearances in and around Europe. Motion and level-changes into advantageous ties are the younger Black’s biggest weapons on-the-feet, and that could be the protocol against the more seasoned Eriomenco. Should Black get past the Moldovan, the quarterfinal won’t offer a breather — where recent U23 World silver Dinislam Bammatov (AIN) or the man below will be waiting.
63 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP)
Qualification round opponent: Dinislam Bammatov (AIN/RUS)
It has been over a decade since ’12 Olympian Coleman has ventured beneath 66/67 kg, and his 63 kg debut on Friday will come against Bammatov, a young but very accomplished and promising wrestler who is equally proficient in each phase of the sport. However, the same was said about similarly-decorated Aliaksandr Liavonchyk (AIN/BLR), who Coleman out-hustled and out-pummeled in the World Olympic Qualifier back in May. When he is on, Coleman’s par terre defense is outstanding, and it might have to be in this match. Should the popular American advance, a showdown against Black or Eriomenco will be on the docket for the quarterfinal.
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP)
Qualification round opponent: Erfan Jarkani (IRI)
Hafizov, now 37, squares off against a tough U20 competitor in Jarkani. Despite age constantly being a topic surrounding Hafizov these days, his wrestling is still towards its apex. The only item one might ponder with regards to Hafizov is his weight; but in several appearances, 63 has not shown to be too much of a jump up in size for him. A win for Hafizov against Jarkani will provide ’23 World bronze/’24 Olympian Islomjon Bakhramov, who hails from his former country of Uzbekistan.
67 kg: Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP)
Qualification round opponent: Daniial Agaev (AIN/RUS)
Keeping with the theme of the draws for Team USA, Tokyo Olympian Sancho will have himself a fresh U23 World medalist in the form of Agaev. This is good for Sancho because it is a chance to express more versatility given his angular style and how it contrasts with the linear nature found in most Eastern Europeans (some of which can be attributed to gaming passives). But, expect a fight from Agaev, as he is one who knows how to compete with physicality. Victory for Sancho at Agaev’s expense will translate into a contest versus Mohammadreza Gholami (IRI) in the round-of-16.
USA Middleweights
72 kg: Benji Peak (Combat WC)
Qualification round opponent: Mohammadreza Geraei (IRI)
Peak stunned plenty of observers in October when he defeated (by VSU, no less) Geraei, ’20 Olympic champ and multi-time World medalist. That was something else. It is perhaps natural to think of words like “vengeance” when imagining how Geraei feels about this match-up, but there is also something to be said for Peak knowing what he can do against the superb Iranian. Although Geraei nearly had his own moments in their first affair, Peak demonstrated an ability to score in bunches, and in ways, that Geraei must have found jolting. If Peak can go and lock down another win against Geraei, he will then face either Mikko Peltokangas (FIN) or ’22 U23 World Champion Iman Mohammadi (IRI) in the round-of-16.
82 kg: Jesse Porter (NYAC)
Qualification round opponent: Ilya Bitseyev (AIN/RUS)
Bitseyev does not have a pronounced sample size of which to speak and at press time subjective variables such as style, and preferred positions and techniques, are unknown. If ’21 World rep Porter can down Bitseyev and move into the proceeding round, he will have either Serbian Uros Lecic or ’22 U23 World Champion/’24 U23 Euro gold Gurban Gurbanov (AZE).
USA Upper-Weights
87 kg: Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP)
Qualification round opponent: Ivan Huklek (CRO)
“The Alaskan Assassin” receives a solid test in ’20 Olympian Huklek and this should be one of the more entertaining opening round matches featuring an American. Huklek is a strong, rigid competitor and tough on defense. This means that Woods will need to upset Huklek’s feet, move him around, and then, perhaps, try and capitalize from par terre top (likely via reverse lift). A win over Huklek for Woods will bring Naser Alizadeh (IRI). Alizadeh — ’21 U23 World bronze and two-time Asian Championships gold — is a technical upper-weight who can score, which would give Woods, as well as viewers, two fun-to-watch matches in a row.
130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines)
Quarterfinal opponent: Sarkhan Mammadov (AZE) or Artur Sarkisjan (CZE)
Suitable opposition for Freeman, regardless of who emerges between Mammadov and Sarkisjan. Mammadov had been called upon to develop on the depth chart behind the likes of ’16 Rio bronze Sabah Shariati and is starting to assert his place as a problematic obstacle on the Senior circuit. Freeman is a more open and active wrestler than both of his potential opponents, but there are still vulnerabilities from par terre defense in need of reinforcement. That said, Freeman is a threat and a match against two-time Olympic bronze/’18 World champ Sergey Semenov (AIN/RUS) could be available should he advance.
2025 Zagreb GP Schedule
*All times +6 hrs ET.
*FLOWrestling will carry the live broadcast for the US audience.
DAY 1 – Friday, February 7 (63 & 67 kg)
10:00am-2:30pm — Qualification rounds through semifinals & repechage
6:00pm-8:30pm — Finals
DAY 2 – Saturday, February 8 (77 & 87 kg)
10:00am-2:30pm — Qualification rounds through semifinals & repechage
6:00pm-8:30pm — Finals
DAY 3 — Sunday, February 9 (55, 60, 72, 82, 97, & 130 kg)
10:00am-2:30pm — Qualification rounds through semifinals & repechage
6:00pm-8:30pm — Finals
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Listen to “5PM56: Rich Carlson and Spencer Woods” on Spreaker.
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