2026 European Wrestling Championships Preview

57 KG

#5 Musa Mekhtikhanov of Russia should be considered the favorite going into the European Championships but there are multiple veteran competitors that could push or upset Mekhtikhanov. 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games runner-up Islam Bazarganov has bronze medal finishes at the 2024 and 2025 European Championships and wins over #14 Aryan Tyutrin (BLR) and 2021 Senior World bronze medalist Horst Lehr (GER) and should be considered a medal lock. Keep an eye on 2021 Senior World bronze medalist Horst Lehr of Germany as his length and counter ability could pose issues for other competitors in the bracket.

#14 Aryan Tyutrin of Belarus is coming off a strong bronze medal finish at a loaded Yarygin bracket in January and a title at the Medved Memorial in February and I think he should be considered a serious medal contender, as the three-time Russian Nationals medalist is having a great start to the year. While 2023 U23 World runner-up Manvel Khndrtzyan of Armenia has yet to place at a tournament since October 2023, he should still be considered a live dog in the bracket.

61 KG

Reigning Senior World ChampionZavur Uguev (RUS) holds down the status as the favorite for the 61 KG weight class and his top challenges will be in the forms of four-time European champion #3 (57) Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM) and 2022 57 KG Senior World Champion #8 Zelimkhan Abakarov (ALB). Between Harutyunyan and Abakarov, I think Harutyunyan has the better chance against Uguev, based off their close 7-5 match in Uguev’s favor in last year’s European Championships finals.

2025 Senior World bronze medalist #16 Nuraddin Novruzov (AZE) is the best competitor outside of the Uguev/Harutyunyan/Abakarov trio and should medal if he is on a side of the bracket away from them or at least to the semis. #18 Leonid Colesnic (MDA) had a great win over #8 Zelimkhan Abakarov (ALB) from the round of 16 at last year’s World Championships but has since descended from those heights to a solid competitor who took advantage of a flat Abakarov early in competition who has since avenged his loss to Colesnic at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series.

65 KG

2023 65 KG Senior World bronze medalist #3 Shamil Mamedov of Bulgaria is the clear favorite here and save for injury, I believe him to be the class of this weight.

#9 Bashir Magomedov of Russia is coming off an impressive Yarygin showing that saw him beat 2025 European Champion #10 Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) in the finals and should be considered a strong medal threat here. Keep an eye on returning European runner-up Khamzat Arsamerzouev of France, as he can keep matches close against the best competition, but doesn’t quite yet have enough offensive firepower to put away the likes of #10 Ibragim Ibragimov (lost to him in ‘25 European finals) or #3 Shamil Mamedov (lost to him in this year’s Dan Kolov finals), he is more than good enough to break away from the rest of the field (Tevanyan, Dudaev, Guseinov).

2023 Senior World bronze medalist Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Islam Dudaev (ALB) are both dangerous competitors who on paper have the ability to make deep bracket runs but whose results over the past year have left something to be desired. If either man catches fire in this bracket and makes a deep run, I would not be surprised but I also wouldn’t be surprised if the mileage on both men caps their ceiling.

70 KG

#1 David Baev is the returning European Champion and fresh off an impressive run to a Yarygin title and should be considered the favorite of the field, but keep an eye out for his bracket placement, as with him being the eighteen seed, it is likely he will face his best opponents early on in the bracket.

Outside of Baev, returning European runner-up #5 Arman Andreasyan (ARM) was entered in the preliminary entry list but has been replaced by Davit Margaryan, who does not carry Andreasyan’s ability or impact in this bracket.

2025 U23 World Champion Kanan Heybatov (AZE) comes into the European Championships unranked after multiple forays up to 74 KG, but has a dominant showing against Asian Championships bronze medalist #7 Sina Khalili (IRI) in the U23 World Finals and should be considered a serious medal contender in the field. Keep an eye for Heybatov’s chin whip and chest wrap exposure series when his opponents are deep on his legs, as he’s routinely saw success against the best competition with it.

#13 Akaki Kemertelidze (GEO) had a great start to the year with a Zagreb Open runner-up finish to #7 Sina Khalili (IRI) that saw him beat #14 Caleb Henson (USA) and past world champion #15 Ismail Musukaev (HUN), but Kemertelidze is coming off an eleventh place finish at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series Tournament after a qualification round loss to #12 Vasile Diacon (MDA). Kemertelidze is very good and I think with his number two seed, he should be considered to have a clear path and ability to medal, but the limitations he’s shown against wrestlers who can pick him apart with movement and leg attacks off his lunging underhook heavy style to truly break through against the elite of the elite.

Keep an eye on U23 European Champion #17 Alexander Gaidarli of Moldova as someone with tons of upside in this bracket. Gaidarli upset 2024 U23 World runner-up #8 Magomed-Emi Eltemirov (RUS) in this year’s U23 European finals and is being sent instead of 2025 Senior World fifth place finisher #11 Vasile Diacon for Moldova. Gaidarli is an extremely positionally solid competitor with a great outside step high crotch series who can compete against the best in the bracket.

Trying to gauge #15 Ismail Musukaev’s competition ceiling is a direct example of the detrimental effects of the Observer Effect, as every time I have proclaimed him to be good at a tournament that isn’t the World Championships, it inexplicably causes the inverse and he loses early. So consider it Schrodinger’s Musukaev, simultaneously being an absolutely elite talent with a sky high ceiling and proven world level production who can beat anyone and also a guy entirely capable of losing in the first round gassing out and shutting down against lesser competition,

74 KG

#1 Timur Bizhoev is the top ranked wrestler in the world and in this bracket and this is his second trip to the European Championships, registering a bronze medal finish in 2019. Bizhoev is very good but I am not entirely sure that he has truly jumped levels to be a true number one and I consider four-time European Champion #9 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) as the favorite here, and his past win over Bizhoev from the Senior World Championships in 2021 showed that between two positionally stingy competitors in him and Bizhoev, his ability to score late gives him the edge.

Keep eyes on U23 European Champion #15 Seyfulla Itaev of France as a potential bracket buster here, as Itaev upset a very solid #16 Manuel Wagin to win.

Turan Bayramov has an electrifying style built upon exceptional counter wrestling and upper body throws, but is limited in that he is undersized for the weight and routinely gases out and shuts down his offense late in key matches. He’s still young enough to believe he could adapt but as it stands now, I would pencil in Bayramov as a highly entertaining must-see competitor but I am hesitant to claim this tournament will be his breakthrough.

Murad Kuramagomedov of Hungary upset 2025 Senior World runner-up Chermen Valiev (ALB) early in 2025 in the Bundesliga league, but I think his ceiling has been set as a very stingy, very strong competitor who doesn’t open up in big matches against the best competitors, still a tough matchup for lesser competition, but his offensive limitations handicap him to a low ceiling.

79 KG

Returning European Champion #6 Akhmed Usmanov (RUS) is the favorite to win here and his best competition will come in the way of #7 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA) and #10 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR). Usmanov is brutally strong for the weight and was the favorite going into last year’s World Championships where injury diminished him from his best and caused him not to place, I think he returns to form here and performs well against opponents that feed well into his skillset. Usmanov dominated Khadjiev in last year’s European finals and has never lost to Kadimagomedov and has shut him down on multiple occasions.

Outside of the big three of Usmanov, Khadjiev, and Kadimagomedov, keep an eye on Dzhabrail Gadzhiev (AZE), a three-time U23 European Champion, who has done well since moving up to 79 KG, registering a fifth place finish at the Senior World Championships last year. Along with Gadzhiev, I’d keep an eye on Tariel Gaphrindashvili of Georgia, as he has a very exciting style to watch and was in the 86 KG rankings in 2023, I’d like to see him do well and think he could catch a higher ranked competitor early in the bracket or make a strong medal run with a good bracket.

86 KG

#1 Ibragim Kadiev (RUS) is coming off huge performances at the Yarygin and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series Tournament that earned him six ranked wins (#2 Arsenii Dzhioev, #3 Kyle Dake, #8 Artur Naifonov, #10 Bozigit Islamgereev, #11 Arsen Balayan, and #20 Georgios Kougioumtsidis) that has absolutely won him the right to be the clear favorite of this bracket.

The only man who has kept a remotely close match with Kadiev during this year has been #2 Arsenii Dzhioev of Azerbaijan who lost 3-2 to Kadiev in the Muhamet Malo Ranking and notched wins over #3 Kyle Dake (USA) and #5 Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO) at the same tournament. Dzhioev is incredibly elite and should be considered the 1B to Kadiev’s 1A here.

#5 Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO) started his year off absolutely on fire, tech falling reigning Senior World champion #6 Zahid Valencia (USA) at the Zagreb Open, where he finished runner-up to #4 Parker Keckeisen (USA). Gamkrelidze is a medal contender in this bracket and outside of Kadiev and Gamkrelidze he is the best of the rest in this bracket.

#12 Eugeniu Mihalcean of Moldova is the reigning U23 World runner-up and a dangerous big move threat early in the bracket, but his inability to win closely contested matches will cost him against the elite of this tournament. Still a very dangerous competitor.

#14 Rakhim Magamadov (FRA) finished fifth at the Senior World Championships and U23 World Championships and is a fantastic athlete at the weight who can put away matches in an instant with a fantastic leg lace series but also routinely gasses out and shuts down against elite competition, as seen in his losses to #13 Abolfazl Rahmani (IRI) and #2 Arsenii Dzhioev (AZE) at the U23 and Senior World Championships respectively.

2025 79 KG Senior World Champion #20 Georgios Kougioumtsidis (GRE) is someone to keep an eye on in this bracket, even with the proliferation of higher ranked competitors, as Kougioumtsidis has the pedigree to show that he can break through for a medal with a good draw and unseat higher ranked competitors now that he’s adjusted to the physicality of a higher weight class.

92 KG

#2 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov of Russia is the favorite coming into this weight as the reigning world runner-up and Yarygin champion, but his exposure heavy, counter oriented style should lead to exciting, close matches against the best of this weight which includes two-time World medalist #12 Miriani Maisuradze (GEO) and U23 European Champion #6 Ali Tcokaev (AZE).

Keep an eye on #6 Ali Tcokaev (AZE) as he won a Medved title last year at 86 KG over #7 Azamat Dauletbekov (KAZ) and beat Yarygin runner-up #8 Mustafagadzhi Malachdibirov (RUS) in the semifinals of the U23 European Championships and can absolutely level up at this tournament.

For the best of the rest, Mukhammed Aliiev is a 2021 U23 World Champion who has a win over 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine from the 2022 Bill Farrell Memorial but has failed to replicate that success in the past 4 years.

Samhan Jabrailov finished runner-up to #10 Akhmed Mirzabegov (RUS) in the Shamil Umakhanov Tournament in November and competed at heavyweight for much of the early part of his career so he could have potential here based off his size advantage.

#17 Akhmed Bataev (BUL) is a middle of the road guy placement and rankings wise but dominated multiple time U-23 World Medalist #18 Jacob Cardenas (USA), so he should have a path to medal with a good bracket. Fatih Altunbas (TUR) took silver at the U23 European Championships.

Samuel Scherrer (SUI) is a two time European runner-up and has a career best win over 2018 86 KG Medved Champion Gadzhi Rabadanov (BLR). Mushegh Mkrtchyan is a 2023 Junior European runner-up and a solid enough depth guy, in a good bracket could probably make the quarters.

97 KG

#1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev is the unequivocal favorite of this weight as he is in almost every tournament he has ever entered. I am most interested to see the 97 KG debut of four-time World Medalist Osman Nurmagomedov of Azerbaijan, as he is being sent in lieu of 2024 Olympic bronze medalist #7 Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE). I think very highly of Nurmagomedov’s chances here if he has filled out to 97 KG and his diverse offense should allow for him to be a serious medal threat here.

#10 Givi Matcharashvili of Georgia is the returning European champion and the three time World/Olympic medalist should be considered the number two man behind #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) in the bracket.

Batyrbek Tsakulov of Slovakia registered a great 2022 in his first year with Slovakia from Russia, registering a bronze medal finish at the European Championships along with two ranking series tournament titles and a Senior world silver medal. Most of Tsakulov’s best wins are at 92 KG, but in his standout year in 2022, he was able to defeat #10 Givi Matcharashvili (GEO) and #15 (125) Vladislav Baitsaev (HUN), but since than has alternated between 92 KG and 97 KG and settled into a solid middle of the field competitor at 97KG.

125 KG

#7 Giorgi Meshvildishvili of Azerbaijan is the highest ranked competitor at 125 KG and the returning European champion and Senior World runner-up, but I’m not penciling him in as an absolute lock for the weight as heavyweight in Europe has become much better and he is somewhere undersized for the weight and wrestles close matches against lesser competition.

#10 Shamil Musaev of Russia won the Yarygin in January and beat #4 Abdulla Kurbanov (RUS) there and while he has a extensive history of coming up short in big matches due to conditioning issues, I think in the more open field and up a weight, he should have better chances to break through for a continental crown.

#12 Hakan Buyukcingil of Turkey carries the third highest ranking at the weight and is coming off a title at the Dan Kolov Memorial and a bronze medal at the U23 European Championships. Buyukcingil was able to earn his spot in the rankings by beating 2025 Senior World quarterfinalist #13 Mohsen Siyar (GER) in the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series Tournament.

#13 Mohsen Siyar (GER), an Iranian transfer, impressed me last year with 2025 Yarygin champion #20 Zelimkhan Khizriev (RUS) in an 8-8 criteria loss and followed it with a quarterfinals finish at the Senior World Championships where he beat two-time Senior World medalist #14 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (MGL). Siyar is very solid and brings with him a pressure heavy style and exceptional positioning representative of his Iranian background, his lack of high amplitude offense holds him back in matches he can’t wear his opponents down in.

#15 Vladislav Baitsaev (HUN) was a Russian standout while competing for North-Ossetia and registered a fifth place finish at last year’s European Championships with losses to Meshvildishvili and #19 Dzianis Khramiankov (BLR). Baitsaev is a physically gifted competitor but his lack of stance discipline, handfighting, shot set ups, and conditioning mean he is stuck overly reliant on his athleticism to get to his low shots in a style that gasses him out against elite competition.

While unranked, Solomon Manashvili of Georgia is the returning European runner-up and should be considered a serious title threat here, as he pushed #7 Giorgi Meshvildishvili (AZE) to the brink in a 7-7 criteria loss. 2022 Russian Nationals champion #16 Alen Khubulov lost to #15 Vladislav Baitsaev (HUN) at Senior World’s last year and while a credentialed competitor, I see Khubulov having a similar ceiling to Baitsaev.