New Zealand, Tajikistan crown world MMA champs

Gold medals for Tajikistan and New Zealand highlighted the first U20 World Amateur MMA Championships in Loutraki, Greece.

Tajikistan won two golds medals, both in men’s division, while New Zealand won a gold medal through Lily Houben in women’s division in the five-day event.

Houben, who is quickly making a name for herself in the New Zealand combat sports circles, used a classic armbar to submit neutral athlete Dinara Tiutiunova in the only bout, which was the final, at 90kg.

Apart from 90kg, three more weight classes were in action in women’s — 50kg, 61kg and 65kg. IN the battle between neutral athletes, Alina Naidina defeated Kseniia Shippilkina to win the gold medal at 50kg.

Ukraine won golds at 61kg and 66kg through Yana Melnychuk and Yuliia Melnychuk, the sisters helping it win the time title as well with 50 points. New Zealand finished second with 25 points.

Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK) won gold medal in the 62kg weight category. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

In men’s, nine weight classes were in action with champions from Tajikistan, Moldova, France, Ukraine and neutral fighters.

Ukraine, once again the best team, won two gold medals, both at the expense of Kazakhstan. The first came at 77kg when Kyryl Kyselov defeated Kazakhstan’s Kydyrali Kairgali in the final and the second came at 100kg as Yevhenii Muradov beat Radomir Morozov of Kazakhstan in the final.

Muhammadkabir Nazarzoda gave Tajikistan its first gold medal when he defeated neutral athlete Maksim Busgyin in the 62kg final. Soon after, : Mukhammadamin Shamolov added a second gold medal for the country when he beat neutral athlete Nikita Likhtin in the 66kg final.

For Moldova, Ion Sili showed his dominance in the 93kg final as he defeated neutral athlete Alikhan Evloev to win the gold medal.

In the 130kg, former U17 world silver medalist in Freestyle 125kg and U20 European bronze Levan Lagvilava of France used his wrestling skills to win both bouts in the Nelson bracket to win the gold medal. Lagvilava recently finish fifth at the U20 World Championships.

Alibeg Alibekov at 57kg, Ian Gurbanov at 71kg, and Viktor Sheenko at 84kg were the trio of neutral athletes, who won gold medals.

RESULTS

U20 Men’s Amateur MMA

57kg
GOLD: Alibeg ALIBEKOV (UWW)
SILVER: Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR)
BRONZE: Arturo COLMENAREJO GARCIA (ESP)
BRONZE: Kyllian DURANDET (FRA)

62kg
GOLD: Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK)
SILVER: Maksim BUSYGIN (UWW)
BRONZE: Amir ALKANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Mikhail KLIMENKO (UWW)

66kg
GOLD: Mukhammadamin SHAMOLOV (TJK)
SILVER: Nikita LIKHTIN (UWW)
BRONZE: Mansur ABDRAKHMAN (KAZ)
BRONZE: Oleh CHERNIK (UKR)

71kg
GOLD: Ian GURBANOV (UWW)
SILVER: Bilel BOULAMA (FRA)
BRONZE: Bohdan BECHKO (UKR)
BRONZE: Isa KHARSIEV (UWW)

77kg
GOLD: Kyryl KYSELOV (UKR)
SILVER: Kydyrali KAIRGALI (KAZ)
BRONZE: Ali SHARIFOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Aliskhan DUDURGOV (UWW)

84kg
GOLD: Viktor SHEENKO (UWW)
SILVER: Andrii BOIAR (UKR)
BRONZE: Vadym ZHUKOV (UKR)
BRONZE: Athanasios MADEMLIS (GRE)

93kg
GOLD: Ion SILI (MDA)
SILVER: Alikhan EVLOEV (UWW)
BRONZE: Yehor RAILIANU (UKR)
BRONZE: Yerkebulan ASSANOV (KAZ)

100kg
GOLD: Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR)
SILVER: Radomir MOROZOV (KAZ)
BRONZE: Anton MAZAEV (UWW)
BRONZE: Cinar PAMUK (TUR)

130kg
GOLD: Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA)
SILVER: Mateusz ZIENKIEWICZ (POL)
BRONZE: Yerassyl SARTBAY (KAZ)

U20 Women’s Amateur MMA

50kg
GOLD: Alina NAIDINA (UWW)
SILVER: Kseniia SHIPILKINA (UWW)

61kg
GOLD: Yana MELNYCHUK (UKR)
SILVER: Diana PARFENOVA (UWW)
BRONZE: Alessia AMENDOLA (ITA)
BRONZE: Tetiana LAPTIEVA (UKR)

65kg
GOLD: Yuliia MELNYCHUK (UKR)
SILVER: Renata AZNABAEVA (UWW)

90kg
GOLD: Lily HOUBEN (NZL)
SILVER: Dinara TIUTIUNOVA (UWW)