Lilledahl strikes gold, Aiello bronze at 2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Luke Lilledahl works for a leg lace against Islam Bazarganov of Azerbaijan in the 57 kg finals of the 2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial.
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Luke Lilledahl tapped into his clutch gene throughout the day at the 2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial. After two tight wins in the preliminary rounds, he bested Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov, 3-1, for the 57 kg gold medal.
The pair exchanged shot clock points in each period, Bazarganov scoring in the first frame, Lilledahl the second. With Lilledahl leading late on criteria, he pounced an errant Bazarganov attack, icing the match with a picturesque blast double in the final moments.
The victory over Bazarganov proves the young American will continue to be a force on the Senior level internationally. Bazarganov has won back-to-back bronze medals at the European Championships. Lilledahl was runner-up to Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee at 2025 Final X and is the U.S. representative for the 2025 U23 World Championships. He is a four-time age-group World medalist, earning a silver and gold at both the U17 and U20 levels.
U.S. National Team member Jay Aiello picked up his second UWW Ranking Series bronze medal of the season courtesy of a solid 10-0 technical fall win against Juhwan Seo of Korea in the 97 kg bronze medal match.
Aiello controlled the tenor of the bout from start to finish. He led 2-0 at the break with a step out point and shot clock point to his name. The match ended at the buzzer with Aiello converting a takedown-to-lace combination to give him the tech.
Heavyweight Demetrius Thomas came up short to Olympian Robert Baran of Poland in the bronze medal match to wind up in fifth place. Baran picked up a pair of low-level single leg takedowns, plus a turn, to take the match comfortably, 6-0.
Three more Americans came away with top 10 placements to add to the team point total. 2025 U.S. World Team member Levi Haines scored ninth place points at 79 kg after finishing the day 1-1. 2022 U.S. World Team member Seth Gross went 1-1 at 61 kg, collecting an eighth-place honor. Brandon Cannon wound up in 10th place at 70 kg.
The only American to land outside the top 10 was Final X runner-up Trent Hillger, who slotted in 11th place at 125 kg.
Final placements, medal match results and Team USA results can be found below.
The action from Budapest continues on Friday with the remaining men’s freestyle weights, plus the start of the women’s freestyle tournament. Wrestling begins at 10:30 a.m. local time. Budapest, Hungary, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
The tournament is available to watch in the U.S. market through FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.
2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial #
July 17, Budapest, Hungary #
Men’s Freestyle Results #
57 kg #
Gold – Luke Lilledahl (United States)
Silver – Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Rahul (India)
Bronze – Aryan Tsiutryn (UWW)
5th – Niklas Stechele (Germany)
5th – Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia)
7th – Luka Gvinjilia (Georgia)
8th – Sunggwon Kim (Korea)
9th – Adilet Almukhamedov (Kazakhstan)
10th – Bekir Keser (Turkey)
Gold – Luke Lilledahl (United States) dec. Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan), 3-1
Bronze – Rahul (India) dec. Niklas Stechele (Germany), 4-0
Bronze – Aryan Tsiutryn (UWW) tech. fall Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia), 10-0
61 kg #
Gold – Takara Suda (Japan)
Silver – Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Assylzhan Yessengeldi (Kazakhstan)
5th – Emrah Ormanoglu (Turkey)
5th – Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia)
7th – Dzmitry Shamela (UWW)
8th – Seth Gross (United States)
9th – Udit (India)
10th – Georgii Okorokovv (Austria)
Gold – Takara Suda (Japan) dec. Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), 5-3
Bronze – Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Emrah Ormanoglu (Turkey), 4-3
Bronze – Assylzhan Yessengeldi (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia), 10-0
65 kg #
Gold – Sujeet (India)
Silver – Ali Rahimzade (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia)
Bronze – Goderdzi Dzebisashvili (Georgia)
5th – Khamzat Timourovitch Arsamerzouev (France)
5th – Alibeg Saigidgusein M Alibegov (Bahrain)
7th – Zoltan Mate Mizsei (Hungary)
8th – Gamzatgadzhi Khalidov (Hungary)
9th – Sherkhan Abil (Kazakhstan)
10th – Nursultan Sadyk (Kazakhstan)
Gold – Sujeet (India) dec. Ali Rahimzade (Azerbaijan), 5-1
Bronze – Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia) dec. Khamzat Timourovitch Arsamerzouev (France), 9-0
Bronze – Goderdzi Dzebisashvili (Georgia) dec. Alibeg Saigidgusein M Alibegov (Bahrain), 7-7
70 kg #
Gold – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan)
Silver – Arman Andreasyan (Armenia)
Bronze – Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia)
Bronze – Sina Mahdi Khalili (Iran)
5th – Abbas Mohammadreza Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi (Iran)
5th – Austin Gomez (Mexico)
7th – Ismail Musukaev (Hungary)
8th – Haydar Yavuz (Turkey)
9th – Yegor Anchugin (Kazakhstan)
10th – Brandon Cannon (United States)
Gold – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) dec. Arman Andreasyan (Armenia), 8-0
Bronze – Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia) dec. Abbas Mohammadreza Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi (Iran), 11-4
Bronze – Sina Mahdi Khalili (Iran) forfeit Austin Gomez (Mexico)
79 kg #
Gold – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia)
Silver – Magomet Evloev (Tajikistan)
Bronze – Fariborz Faramarz Babaeiragani (Iran)
Bronze – Georgios Kougioumtsidis (Greece)
5th – Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan)
5th – Lucas Marco Kahnt (Germany)
7th – Luka Chkhitunidze (Georgia)
8th – Chandermohan (India)
9th – Levi Haines (United States)
10th – Ryunosuke Kamiya (Japan)
Gold – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia) dec. Magomet Evloev (Tajikistan), 5-0
Bronze – Fariborz Faramarz Babaeiragani (Iran) dec. Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan), 2-0
Bronze – Georgios Kougioumtsidis (Greece) tech. fall Lucas Marco Kahnt (Germany), 10-0
97 kg #
Gold – Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain)
Silver – Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland)
Bronze – Jay Aiello (United States)
Bronze – Adlan Bakirsoultanovitch Viskhanov (France)
5th – Juhwan Seo (Korea)
5th – Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia)
7th – Vicky (India)
8th – Nurdaulet Bekenov (Kazakhstan)
9th – Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia)
10th – Aliaksandr Hushtyn (UWW)
Gold – Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain) tech. fall Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland), 11-0
Bronze – Jay Aiello (United States) tech. fall Juhwan Seo (Korea), 10-0
Bronze – Adlan Bakirsoultanovitch Viskhanov (France) dec. Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia), 9-4
125 kg #
Gold – Shamil Magomed A Sharipov (Bahrain)
Silver – Dzianis Khramiankou (UWW)
Bronze – Alen Khubulov (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Robert Baran (Poland)
5th – Vladislav Bajcajev (Hungary)
5th – Demetrius Thomas (United States)
7th – Georgi Lyubomirov Ivanov (Bulgaria)
8th – Kamil Tomasz Kosciolek (Poland)
9th – Nursultan Azov (Kazakhstan)
10th – Jonovan Smith (Puerto Rico)
Gold – Shamil Magomed A Sharipov (Bahrain) dec. Dzianis Khramiankou (UWW), 5-3
Bronze – Alen Khubulov (Bulgaria) dec. Vladislav Bajcajev (Hungary), 3-0
Bronze – Robert Baran (Poland) dec. Demetrius Thomas (United States), 6-0
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results #
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (St. Charles, Mo./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal #
WIN Niklas Stechele (Germany), 4-2
WIN Rahul (India), 7-6
WIN Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan), 3-1
61 kg – Seth Gross (Bismarck, N.D./MATPAC WC), 8th place #
WIN Arman Eloyan (France), tech. fall, 14-4
LOSS Assylzhan Yessengeldi (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 10-0
70 kg – Brandon Cannon (Centennial, Colo./Ohio RTC), 10th place #
LOSS Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 14-11
79 kg – Levi Haines (Arendtsville, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), 9th place #
WIN Khidir Kurban A Saipudinov (Bahrain), 10-5
LOSS Georgios Kougioumtsidis (Greece), 7-3
97 kg – Jay Aiello (Philadelphia, Pa./Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal #
LOSS Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland), 6-6
WIN Vicky (India), fall, 5:25
WIN Juhwan Seo (Korea), tech. fall, 10-0
125 kg – Demetrius Thomas (Providence, R.I./New York AC), 5th place #
WIN Efe Anil Al (Turkey), fall, 5:47
WIN Georgi Lyubomirov Ivanov (Bulgaria), 7-2
LOSS Dzianis Khramiankou (UWW), tech. fall, 13-1
LOSS Robert Baran (Poland), 6-0
125 kg – Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Gopher WC/Titan Mercury WC), 11th place #
LOSS Nursultan Azov (Kazakhstan), 9-2
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