Bey, Black to wrestle for bronze in Greco-Roman at Muhamet Malo
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Kamal Bey works on top against Demeu Zhadrayev of Kazakhstan at the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania.
TIRANA, Albania – Kamal Bey and Max Black are the last men standing for Team USA at the 2026 Muhamet Malo international tournament, which serves as the second United World Wrestling Ranking Series event of the season.
The 2024 Olympian and four-time World Team member Bey finished the Sunday Morning Session at Feti Borova Olympic Park with a 2-1 record that included a dynamite 3-3 criteria win over 2024 Olympic silver medalist Demeu Zhadrayev of Kazakhstan.
In the semifinal round, Bey gave up a pair of scores from his own throw attempts, which proved the difference in a 7-0 defeat at the hands of Iran’s Mohammadamin Hosseini.
It’ll be another strong test for Bey in the 82 kg bronze medal match against 2017 World champion Viktor Nemes of Serbia.
Black and fellow 2025 World Team member Michial Foy qualified for the repechage round after dropping their openers. In repechage, Black rebounded with a gritty 2-1 decision over Zagreb Open Ranking Series bronze medalist Yerbol Kamaliyev of Kazakhstan at 60 kg, while Foy lost a tough 6-2 match to 2025 World bronze medalist Murad Ahmadiyev of Azerbaijan at 97 kg.
For the bronze medal, Black will see UWW athlete Suner Konunov, who went toe-to-toe with 2024 World champion Nihat Mammadli of Azerbaijan in the semis.
Two-time World Team member Dalton Roberts notched a pair of nice wins in the morning session—3-2 over U23 Asian bronze medalist Kurmanbek Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan and 6-1 over U23 Asian champion Iskhar Kurbayev of Kazakhstan. Roberts’ run was stopped by 2024 World bronze medalist Sadyk Lalaev of UWW, 9-0, in the quarterfinals. With Lalaev falling in the semifinals, Roberts’ otherwise successful outing ended without a wrestle-back opportunity.
Five U.S. entrants went 0-1 during the morning session and weren’t pulled into repechage—Billy Sullivan at 55 kg, Benji Peak at 72 kg, George Sikes at 82 kg, Keith Miley at 97 kg and Aden Attao at 130 kg.
The tournament concludes at noon (ET) with the day five medal round in Greco-Roman (55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg).
A live stream of the Muhamet Malo is available to the U.S. audience through FloWrestling. Brackets and updated results are hosted on UWW Arena.
Gold – Rashad Mammadov (Azerbaijan) vs. Emin Sefershaev (UWW)
Bronze – Lalit (India) vs. Arsen Zhuma (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Vishvajit More (India) vs. Marlan Mukashev (Kazakhstan)
Gold – Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan) vs. Nihat Mammadli (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Sadyk Lalaev (UWW) vs. Azatjan Achilov (Turkmenistan)
Bronze – Suner Konunov (UWW) vs. Max Black (United States)
Gold – Hojat Rezaei (Iran) vs. Mohammad Rezaei (Iran)
Bronze – Ruslan Nurullayev (Azerbaijan) vs. Iuri Lomadze (Georgia)
Bronze – Razzak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Almatbek Amanbek (Kazakhstan)
Gold – Mohammadamin Hosseini (Iran) vs. Adlet Tiuliubaev (UWW)
Bronze – Kamal Bey (United States) vs. Viktor Nemes (Serbia)
Bronze – Tunjay Vazirzade (Azerbaijan) vs. Iraklii Kalandiia (UWW)
Gold – Artur Sargsian (UWW) vs. Kiryl Maskevich (UWW)
Bronze – Amirreza Moradiyan (Iran) vs. Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Giorgi Melia (Georgia) vs. Alex Szoke (Hungary)
Gold – Konsta Maeenpaeae (Finland) vs. Marat Kamparov (UWW)
Bronze – Dzmitry Zarubski (UWW) vs. Jello Krahmer (Germany)
Bronze – Beka Kandelaki (Azerbaijan) vs. Elias Kuosmanen (Finland)
Rashad Mammadov (Azerbaijan) dec. Lalit (India), 6-5
Emin Sefershaev (UWW) tech. fall Vishvajit More (India), 10-1
Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Sadyk Lalaev (UWW), 8-0
Nihat Mammadli (Azerbaijan) dec. Suner Konunov (UWW), 3-1
Hojat Rezaei (Iran) dec. Ruslan Nurullayev (Azerbaijan), 7-3
Mohammad Rezaei (Iran) dec. Razzak Beishekeev (Kyrgyzstan), 5-1
Mohammadamin Hosseini (Iran) dec. Kamal Bey (United States), 7-0
Adlet Tiuliubaev (UWW) dec. Tunjay Vazirzade (Azerbaijan), 6-1
Artur Sargsian (UWW) dec. Amirreza Moradiyan (Iran), 3-2
Kiryl Maskevich (UWW) dec. Giorgi Melia (Georgia), 7-1
Konsta Maeenpaeae (Finland) tech. fall Dzmitry Zarubski (UWW), 8-0
Marat Kamparov (UWW) dec. Beka Kandelaki (Azerbaijan), 1-1
LOSS Vishvajit More (India), fall, 4:23
LOSS Nihat Mammadli (Azerbaijan), tech. fall, 8-0
WIN Yerbol Kamaliyev (Kazakhstan), 2-1
VS Suner Konunov (UWW)
WIN Kurmanbek Zhaparov (Kyrgyzstan), 3-2
WIN Iskhar Kurbayev (Kazakhstan), 6-1
LOSS Sadyk Lalaev (UWW), tech. fall, 9-0
LOSS Iuri Lomadze (Georgia), 5-1
WIN Marjan Kola (Albania), fall, 3:29
WIN Demeu Zhadrayev (Kazakhstan), 3-3
LOSS Mohammadamin Hosseini (Iran), 7-0
VS Viktor Nemes (Serbia)
LOSS Prince (India), 7-0
LOSS Artur Sargsian (UWW), tech. fall, 8-0
LOSS Murad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan), 6-2
LOSS Artur Omarov (Czechia), tech. fall, 8-0
LOSS Sulkhan Buidze (Georgia), 2-0
