Winning 23 of 24 bouts in three matches, Iran stormed to the final of the 2017 Freestyle World Cup in Kermanshah on Friday.

USA defeated Azerbaijan in a close match to meet the host country in the final. Azerbaijan competes against Turkey in the third-place match.

Iran met Mongolia in the third round of Group B and bested the rival 7-1. The opening matches were for the host team as 2014 world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Hassan Rahimi defeated Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), 7-6, in a come from behind match at 57kg and Masoud ESMAEILPOUR beat Tulga TUMUR-OCHIR (MGL), 4-0, at 61kg. 

Iranian’s only loss during the last three rounds came at 65kg as Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) powered past Mohammademehdi YEGANEHJAFARI, 4-3.

The Kermanshahi wrestler Hamed RASHIDI (IRI) defeated Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) by technical fall, 10-0, earning 8 points using a cradle.

Then Peyman YARAHMADI added another win for Iran, defeating Ankhbayar BATCHULUUN (MGL) by technical fall, 10-0.

2016 Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANI added another technical fall win to his career performance in 86kg as he defeated Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL), 13-2.

Amir MOHAMMADI won the bout against Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) by technical fall at 97kg.

Another Kermanshahi wrestler Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) beat Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL), 5-0. 

In the other match of the group, Turkey beat India 7-1, advancing to the third-place match against Azerbaijan. 

In Group A, USA defeated Azerbaijan 4-4 to advance to the final.

Azerbaijan won the opening match in 57kg as Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI bested Anthony RAMOS, 3-2.

The most impressive match of the day took place at 61kg, where 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER downed Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 12-11. 

Two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) defeated Frank MOLINARO (USA), 4-1, to give Azerbaijan a 2-1 lead. 

The battle at 70kg took only 2 minutes and 37 seconds as world bronze medal winner James GREEN (USA) beat David SUYNYUCHKHANOV (AZE) by technical fall, 10-0. 

Two-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medal winner Jordan BURROUGHS forced his opponent Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) to suffer a three-caution disqualification. 

At 86 kg, David TAYLOR (USA) downed 2012 Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV by technical fall, 12-2, to give the Americans a 4-2 lead. It was second loss for Sharifov in the 2017 Freestyle World Cup.

At 97kg, 2016 Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Aslanbek ALBOROV wrestled a close, physical match. Alborov earned the 5-4 victory on the strength of a four-point technique in the final 30 seconds. 

The heavyweight match finished as 3-1 victory for Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) against Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA). The two teams were 4-4 in individual wins, but USA beat Azerbaijan 20-14 in technical points.

In other contest of group A, Russia downed Georgia 5-3 but couldn’t qualify to the final or third-place match after suffering two losses on the first day.

The bronze-medal match is set for 4 p.m. local, with the gold-medal match to follow at roughly 5:15 p.m. local. 

Round 3 results:

Group A

RUSSIA (RUS) df. GEORGIA (GEO) ,5-3 
57 kg - Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS) df. Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO), 10-2
61 kg - Viktor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO) by TF, 14-4
65 kg - Chermen VALIEV (RUS) df. Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO), 12-7
70 kg - Konstantine KHABALASHVILI (GEO) df. Alibek AKBAEV (RUS), 2-2
74 kg - Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) df. Radik VALIEV (RUS), 4-2
86 kg - Akhmed MAGAMAEV (RUS) df. Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) by TF, 10-0
97 kg - Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Zviad METREVELI (GEO), 4-0
125 kg - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Mukhamagazi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) by TF, 13-2

UNITED STATES (USA) df. AZERBAIJAN (AZE), 4-4 (20-14 in technical points) 
57 kg - Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Anthony RAMOS (USA), 3-2
61 kg - Logan STIEBER (USA) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 12-11 
65 kg - Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Frank MOLINARO (USA), 4-1
70 kg - James Malcolm GREEN (USA) df. David SUYNYUCHKHANOV (AZE) by TF, 10-0
74 kg - Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) df. Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) by three cautions disqualification, 4-5. 
86 kg - David TAYLOR III (USA) df. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) by TF, 12-2 
97 kg - Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) df. Kyle SNYDER (USA), 5-4
125 kg - Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA), 3-1

Group B

IRAN (IRI) df. MONGOLIA (MGL), 7-1
57 kg - Hassan Sabzali RAHIMI (IRI) df. Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), 7-6
61 kg - Masoud Mahmoud ESMAEILPOORJOUYBARI (IRI) df. Tulga TUMUR-OCHIR (MGL), 4-0
65 kg - Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) df. Mohammademehdi Moslem YEGANEHJAFARI (IRI), 4-3
70 kg - Hamed Houshang RASHIDI (IRI) df. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) by TF, 10-0
74 kg - Peyman Morteza YARAHMADI (IRI) df. Ankhbayar BATCHULUUN (MGL) by TF, 10-0
86 kg - Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) df. Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL) by TF, 11-2
97 kg - Amir Mohsen MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) by FALL, 4-1
125 kg - Yadollah Mohammadkazem MOHEBI (IRI) df. Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL), 5-0

TURKEY (TUR) df. INDIA (IND),7-1 
57 kg - Sezar AKGUL (TUR) df. Amit KUMAR (IND) by DQ, 0-0
61 kg - Harphool HARPHOOL (IND) df. Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) by forfeit, 0-0
65 kg - Safa AKSOY (TUR) df. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) by TF, 10-0
70 kg - Yakup GOR (TUR) df. Amit Kumar DHANKHAR (IND) by TF, 10-0
74 kg - Islam KILIC (TUR) df. Jitender JITENDER (IND) by TF, 11-0
86 kg - Selim YASAR (TUR) df. Deepak DEEPAK (IND), 9-2
97 kg - Faruk AKKOYUN (TUR) df. Roublejit Singh RANGI (IND), 11-3
125 kg - Salim ERCAN (TUR) df. Krishan KRISHAN (IND) by forfeit, 0-0