By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

ZAGREB, Croatia – A new threat has emerged at 97 kg—American Stephen Buchanan solidified himself as a name to watch this season after blitzing Iranian legend Hassan Yazdanicharati, a 2016 Olympic champion, in the men’s freestyle finals on Thursday evening at Arena Zagreb.

In just his second international tournament, Buchanan overcame a 2-1 deficit at the period break to put up 12 second-period points en route to a 13-3 technical fall of the three-time Olympic medalist and seven-time World medalist. A four-point toss from a quad pod position early in the second frame sent the momentum Buchanan’s way, which he never relinquished.

Buchanan dominated the field with a pin, two technical falls and a seven-point decision on his ledger. His closest contest was a 14-7 win over eventual bronze medalist and 2024 U23 World bronze medalist Vicky of India. The win marked Buchanan’s second gold medal of 2026, the Henri Deglane Grand Prix being the other.

Silver medal efforts from Team USA came from Dean Hamiti at 79 kg, Trent Hidlay at 92 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg.

Hamiti dropped a 4-4 criteria decision to 2016 Olympian Zelimkhan Khadjiev of France in the finals. Khadjiev earned two takedowns to Hamiti’s one, which proved the difference in criteria. With a silver medal in hand, Hamiti now holds two international medals in his young Senior-level career. He was a bronze medalist at last year’s Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland.

After a barnburner of a morning session, Hidlay withdrew from the 92 kg gold medal match against 2025 U23 World champion Mohammadmobin Azimi of Iran. The reigning World champion defeated Azimi on criteria, 5-5, earlier in the day.

Hendrickson could not complete the sweep of last year’s World bronze medalists. He was caught early in a leg-turk and pinned by Shamil A Sharipov of Bahrain at the 2:06 mark. It was an otherwise stellar tournament for the 2025 U.S. World Team member, who notched wins over 2025 World bronze medalist Robert Baran of Poland and 2024 Military World silver medalist Mortaza Janmohammadzadehnamarvar of Iran in the morning session.

Two more Americans found a home on the medal stand by beating countrymen in the bronze medal round—Evan Wick edged Danny Braunagel 8-6 at 79 kg, and Dustin Plott controlled Michael Macchiavello 6-1 at 92 kg.

The U.S. wrapped up the men’s freestyle portion of the Zagreb Open with five tournament champions, three silver medalists, five bronze medalists and first place in the team standings at 215 points. Iran was the next closest nation at 180 team points.

The action from Zagreb continues at 10:30 a.m. local time / 4:30 a.m. (ET) with the women’s freestyle group two (59-62-65-68 kg) and Greco-Roman group one (63-67 kg) prelims.  

A live broadcast of the event is available to the U.S. market through FloWrestling.

Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.

2026 Zagreb Open 

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5 

Reference Links 

• Live stream

• Brackets

• Event schedule

Men’s Freestyle Results 

Team Ranking 

1. United States, 215

2. Iran, 180

3. India, 118

4. Georgia, 114

5. France, 60

6. Japan, 41

7. Hungary, 38

8. Bahrain, 25

9. Mexico, 20

10. Poland, 20

Weight Class Ranking 

79 kg 

Gold – Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France)

Silver – Dean Hamiti (United States)

Bronze – Evan Wick (United States)

Bronze – Adel Panaeian (Iran)

5th – Danny Braunagel (United States)

5th – Otari Adeishvili (Georgia)

7th – Amit (India)

8th – Sobhan Esmi (Iran)

9th – Muhamed Bektemirov (Austria)

10th – Luka Chkhitunidze (Georgia)

Gold – Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France) dec. Dean Hamiti (United States), 4-4

Bronze – Evan Wick (United States) dec. Danny Braunagel (United States), 8-6

Bronze – Adel Panaeian (Iran) fall Otari Adeishvili (Georgia), 2:13

92 kg 

Gold – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran)

Silver – Trent Hidlay (United States)

Bronze – Dustin Plott (United States)

4th – Michael Macchiavello (United States)

5th – Zaur Beradze (Georgia)

6th – Abolfazl Rahmani Firouzjaei (Iran)

Gold – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran) med. for. Trent Hidlay (United States)

Bronze – Dustin Plott (United States) dec. Michael Macchiavello (United States), 6-1

97 kg 

Gold – Stephen Buchanan (United States)

Silver – Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran)

Bronze – Andro Margishvili (Georgia)

Bronze – Vicky (India)

5th – Richard Vegh (Hungary)

5th – Adlan Viskhanov (France)

7th – Zane Lanham (United States)

8th – Yaraslau Slavikouski (UWW)

9th – Samuel Pereira (Canada)

10th – Deepak Chahal (India)

Gold – Stephen Buchanan (United States) tech. fall Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), 13-3

Bronze – Andro Margishvili (Georgia) tech. fall Richard Vegh (Hungary), 12-2

Bronze – Vicky (India) dec. Adlan Viskhanov (France), 8-2

125 kg 

Gold – Shamil A Sharipov (Bahrain)

Silver – Wyatt Hendrickson (United States)

Bronze – Mortaza Janmohammadzadehnamarvar (Iran)

Bronze – Dinesh (India)

5th – Robert Baran (Poland)

5th – Kamil Kosciolek (Poland)

7th – Mahendra Gaikwad (India)

8th – Vladislav Bajcajev (Hungary)

9th – Demetrius Thomas (United States)

10th – Johannes Ludescher (Austria)

Gold – Shamil A Sharipov (Bahrain) fall Wyatt Hendrickson (United States), 2:06

Bronze – Mortaza Janmohammadzadehnamarvar (Iran) dec. Robert Baran (Poland), 8-4

Bronze – Dinesh (India) fall Kamil Kosciolek (Poland), 3:38

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results 

79 kg – Evan Wick (Madison, Wis./Askren Wrestling Academy/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal 

WIN Amit (India), fall, 4:19

LOSS Dean Hamiti (United States), 6-5

WIN Danny Braunagel (United States), 8-6

79 kg – Danny Braunagel (O’Fallon, Ill./Illinois RTC/New York AC), 5th place

WIN Sobhan Esmi (Iran), tech. fall, 18-8

LOSS Dean Hamiti (United States), tech. fall, 10-0

LOSS Evan Wick (United States), 8-6

79 kg – Dean Hamiti (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), silver medal 

WIN Danny Braunagel (United States), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Evan Wick (United States), 6-5

LOSS Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France), 4-4

92 kg – Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal 

WIN Zaur Beradze (Georgia), 5-0

WIN Michael Macchiavello (United States), 6-3

WIN Jointy Kumar (India), forfeit

LOSS Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran), tech. fall, 11-0

WIN Michael Macchiavello (United States), 6-1

92 kg – Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 4th place

WIN Jointy Kumar (India), forfeit

LOSS Dustin Plott (United States), 6-3

WIN Zaur Beradze (Georgia), 3-2

LOSS Trent Hidlay (United States), 3-3

LOSS Dustin Plott (United States), 6-1

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC), silver medal 

WIN Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran), 5-5

WIN Abolfazl Rahmani Firouzjaei (Iran), 12-9

WIN Michael Macchiavello (United States), 3-3

LOSS Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran), med. for.

97 kg – Stephen Buchanan (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal 

WIN Samuel Pereira (Canada), tech. fall, 12-1

WIN Vicky (India), 14-7

WIN Adlan Viskhanov (France), fall, 0:40

WIN Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), tech. fall, 13-3

97 kg – Zane Lanham (Hurricane, W. Va./Arkansas RTC), 7th place

WIN Musza Arsunkaev (Hungary), fall, 3:39

LOSS Adlan Viskhanov (France), tech. fall, 12-1

125 kg – Demetrius Thomas (Providence, R.I./New York AC), 9th place

LOSS Shamil A Sharipov (Bahrain), tech. fall, 10-0

LOSS Dinesh (India), tech. fall, 12-2

125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/U.S. Air Force WCAP), silver medal 

WIN Mortaza Janmohammadzadehnamarvar (Iran), fall, 2:34

WIN Robert Baran (Poland), tech. fall, 11-1

LOSS Shamil A Sharipov (Bahrain), fall, 2:06