Marsteller wins gold, Woods and Lewan secure bronze at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania

TIRANA, Albania – The United States opened the second UWW ranking series event of the year with three medals, one gold and two bronze, in men’s freestyle. The Muhamet Malo Ranking Event began on Wednesday morning in Tirana, Albania.

Chance Marsteller claimed the first gold medal of the tournament for the United States on day one in Tirana. Competing at 86 kg, Marsteller defeated 2023 Asian champion Bolat Sakaev of Kazakhstan in the gold-medal finals, 2-0. He picked up a 1-0 lead through the first period after Sakaev was put on the clock and didn’t score. A step out point early in the second was enough for Marsteller to pull ahead and he secured his third international medal of the year.

Real Woods won a bronze medal at 65 kg, defeating 2024 U23 World silver medalist Kaiji Ogino of Japan, 9-1. In the first period, Woods was awarded two points for exposure after attempting a headlock throw, and Ogino was put on the clock but didn't score, resulting in a 3-0 lead for Woods.

Woods extended his lead in the second period after finishing on a single.  Ogino got on the board with a step out, but Woods added two more takedowns to claim the bronze. This is his second international medal at the Senior level.

At 70 kg, it was a battle between to Americans for bronze. The score was 1-0 through the first period in favor of James Green, who earned the point after Will Lewan was hit for passivity. In the second period, Green took a 2-0 lead after another passivity call on Lewan. With time winding down, Lewan secured a step out point, and Green was called for fleeing, giving another point to Lewan. A lost challenge from Green’s corner put Lewan ahead, and Lewan secured the bronze medal in a 4-3 decision.

Yahya Thomas (70 kg) and Quincy Monday (74 kg) fell in the first session and were not pulled into repechage.

The Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Tirana, Albania, continues on Thursday morning with men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. The event is streamed live on FloWrestling. See below for the schedule for the remainder of the event.

At Tirana, Albania, February 26-March 2, 2025

57 kg

Gold –  Ali Momenijoujadeh (Iran)

Silver – Aiaal Belolyubskii (Tajikistan)

Bronze – Weiyu Li (China)

Bronze – Almaz Smanbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

5^th – Sultan Kurmanaliyev (Kazakhstan)

5^th – Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan)

7^th – Thomas Epp (Switzerland)

8^th – Manvel Khndzrtsyan (Armenia)

9^th – Hadi Alihossein Rezaei (Iran)

10^th – Kento Yumiya (Japan)

Gold – Ali Momenijoujadeh (Iran) pin Aiaal Belolyubskii (Tajikistan), 4:59

Bronze – Weiyu Li (China) dec. Sultan Kurmanaliyev (Kazakhstan), 9-9

Bronze – Almaz Smanbekov (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan), 3-2

61 kg

Gold – Takara Suda (Japan)

Silver – Nachyn Mongush (UWW)

Bronze – Artem Gobaev (UWW)

Bronze – Mukhamed Balgabay (Kazakhstan)

5^th – Leomid Colesnic (Moldova)

5^th – Stilyan Iliev (Bulgaria)

7^th – Shengjie Hu (China)

8^th – Daviti Abdaladze (Georgia)

9^th – Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

10^th – Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia)

Gold – Takara Suda (Japan) dec. Nachyn Mongush (UWW), 8-8

Bronze – Artem Gobaev (UWW) dec. Leomid Colesnic (Moldova), 3-0

Bronze – Mukhamed Balgabay (Kazakhstan) dec. Stilyan Iliev (Bulgaria), 7-0

65 kg

Gold – Rahman Amouzadkhalili (Iran)

Silver – Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze – Real Woods (USA)

Bronze – Bilol Sharip Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

5^th – Kaiji Ogino (Japan)

5^th – Kaisei Tanabe (Japan)

7^th – Adlan Askarov (Kazakhstan)

8^th – Islam Dudaev (Albania)

9^th – Nursultan Sadyk (Kazakhstan)

10^th – Sergiu Lupasco (Moldova)

Gold – Rahman Amouzadkhalili (Iran) dec. Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), 5-1

Bronze – Real Woods (USA) dec. Kaiji Ogino (Japan), 9-1

Bronze – Bilol Sharip Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Kaisei Tanabe (Japan), 3-1

70 kg

Gold – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan)

Silver – Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia)

Bronze – Will Lewan (USA)

Bronze – Vasile Diacon (Moldova)

5^th – James Green (USA)

5^th – Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia)

7^th – Fati Vejseli (North Macedonia)

8^th – Yahya Thomas (USA)

9^th – Sanzhar Doszhanov (Kazakhstan)

10^th – Omurbek Taalaibek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

Gold – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) dec. Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia), 4-1

Bronze – Will Lewan (USA) dec. James Green (USA), 4-3

Bronze – Vasile Diacon (Moldova) tech. fall Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 10-0

74 Kg

Gold – Chermen Valiev (Albania)

Silver – Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia)

Bronze – Murad Kuramagomedov (Hungary)

Bronze – Yones Aliakbar Emamichoghaei (Iran)

5^th – Magoma Dibirgadzhiev (UWW)

5^th – Orozobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan)

7^th – Otari Bagauri (Georgia)

8^th – Hikaru Takata (Japan)

9^th – Narek Harutyunyan (Armenia)

10^th – Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia)

Gold – Chermen Valiev (Albania) dec. Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia), 2-0

Bronze – Murad Kuramagomedov (Hungary) dec. Magoma Dibirgadzhiev (UWW), 1-1

Bronze – Yones Aliakbar Emamichoghaei (Iran) dec.  Orozobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 6-1

86 kg

Gold – Chance Marsteller (USA)

Silver – Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Rustem Myrzagaliyev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Tariel Gaphrindashvili (Georgia)

5^th – Sebastian Jezierzanski (Poland)

5^th – Mukhammad Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

7^th –  Tamaz Nikoleishvili (Georgia)

8^th –  Bekzat Rakhimov (Kyrgyzstan)

9^th – Hui Chen (China)

10^th – Jorge Ivan Llano (Argentina)

Gold – Chance Marsteller (USA) dec. Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan), 2-0

Bronze – Rustem Myrzagaliyev (Kazakhstan) dec. Sebastian Jezierzanski (Poland), 8-1

Bronze – Tariel Gaphrindashvili (Georgia) pin Mukhammad Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan), 1:30

65 kg: Real Woods, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC), bronze medalist

WIN Congbao Xie (China), 10-1

WIN Mikyay Salim Naim (Bulgaria), tech fall 10-0

WIN Adlan Askarov (Kazakhstan), tech fall 10-0

LOSS Rahman Amouzadkhalilli (Iran), 11-2

WIN Kaiji Ogino (Japan), 9-1

70 kg: Will Lewan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC), bronze medalist

WIN Eriglent Prizreni (Albania), inj. dft. 5:31

LOSS Yoshinosuki Aoyagi (Japan), tech fall, 11-1

WIN Arman Andreasyan (Armenia), forfeit

WIN James Green (USA), 4-3

70 kg: Yahya Thomas, Princeton, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC), eliminated

WIN Yernur Nurgazy (Kazakhstan), 5-1

LOSS Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 3-0

70 kg: James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska NTS), 5^th place

WIN Sanzhar Doszhanov (Kazakhstan), 4-2

WIN Fati Vejseli (North Macedonia), 4-0

LOSS Yoshinosuki Aoyagi (Japan), 4-1

LOSS Will Lewan (USA), 4-3

74 kg: Quincy Monday, Princeton, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC), eliminated

LOSS Orozobek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 4-2

86 kg: Chance Marsteller, Reading, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC), gold medalist

WIN Rustem Myrzagaliyev (Kazakhstan), pin 1:17

WIN Sebastian Jezierzanski (Poland), 4-0

WIN Bolat Sakaev (Kazakhstan), 2-0

Thursday, February 27

11:30 a.m. – Preliminaries (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

3:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

Friday, February 28

11:30 a.m. – Preliminaries (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

3:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

Saturday, March 1

11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

3:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

Sunday, March 2

11:00 a.m. – Preliminaries (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

3:30 p.m. – Repechage (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)