By David Gerhart
USA Wrestling

TIRANA, Albania – The U.S. is set to have a 14-man team in Greco-Roman competition at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. This is set to be United World Wrestling’s second Ranking Series event of the year.

Leading Team USA at Tirana’s Feta Borova Olympic Park are 2024 Olympians and 2025 World Team members Kamal Bey and Payton Jacobson. Fellow 2025 World Team members Max Black, Alston Nutter and Michial Foy will also be in action this weekend.

In the 87 kg weight class, Jacobson starts his tournament against Adam Gardziola of Poland. At 82 kg, Bey’s first match comes in the round of 16 versus Albania’s Marjan Kola.

Black’s opening round bout at 60 kg is against 2024 World champion Nihat Mammadli of Azerbaijan. Nutter and Foy will both face winners from the qualifying round in their first matches of the tournament.

At 67 kg, Nutter faces either 2022 World champion Sebastian Nad of Sebria or reigning Oceania champion Tsuchika Shimoyamadaa of Australia. Foy’s initial match at 97 kg will be against 2025 World silver medalist Artur Sargsian of UWW or Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Ahmadiyev.

2024 U23 World Team member Keith Miley is set to join Foy at 97 kg and has a first round contest against 2021 Olympian Artur Omarov of Czechia.

Two-time Olympian Ildar Hafizov is set to compete in Albania this weekend at 63 kg and faces Sakit Guliyev of Azerbaijan.

The full list of opening draws for Team USA is listed below.

Day two of the Muhamet Malo begins at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. ET. Tomorrow’s action features the second group of women’s freestyle (59-62-65-68 kg) and the first Greco-Roman group (77-87 kg).

Greco-Roman competition also takes place on Saturday with group two (63-67 kg) and Sunday with group three (55-60-72-82-97-130 kg).

The full schedule for the final three days of the event is listed below.

A live stream of the Muhamet Malo will be available to the U.S. audience through FloWrestling. Brackets and updated results will be hosted on UWW Arena.

2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 

At Tirana, Albania, February 25 – March 1 

Quick Links 

• Events Website

• Brackets and results

• Live Stream

Event Schedule  

Friday, February 27  

WFS 59-62-65-68 kg, GR 77-87 kg  

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals

3:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Medal matches

Saturday, February 28  

WFS 53-57-72-76 kg, GR 63-67 kg  

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds

2 p.m. – Semifinals

3 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Medal matches

Sunday, March 1  

GR 55-60-72-82-97-130 kg  

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds

2:30 p.m. – Semifinals

3:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Medal matches

*All times listed local to Tirana, Albania, which is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

U.S. Greco-Roman Draws 

55 kg – Billy Sullivan (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Vishvajit More (India)

60 kg – Max Black (Marquette, Mich./NMU-National Training Center) 

VS Nihat Mammadli (Azerbaijan)

60 kg – Dalton Roberts (Fountain, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Kurmanbek Zhaparov (Kyrgyzstan)

63 kg – Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Sakit Guliyev (Azerbaijan)

67 kg – Alston Nutter (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Tsuchika Shimoyamadaa (Australia) or Sebastian Nad (Sebria)

67 kg – Otto Black (Marquette, Mich./NMU-National Training Center) 

VS Ankit (India)

72 kg – Benji Peak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Position Wrestling/New York AC) 

VS Iuri Lomadze (Georgia)

77 kg – Britton Holmes (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Kaharman Kissymetov (Kazakhstan)

82 kg – Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Marjan Kola (Albania)

82 kg – George Sikes (Fort Pierce, Fla./New York AC) 

VS Prince (India)

87 kg – Payton Jacobson (Marquette, Mich./NMU-National Training Center) 

VS Adam Gardziola (Poland)

97 kg – Michial Foy (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 

VS Artur Sargsian (UWW) or Mahammad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan)

97 kg – Keith Miley (Little Rock, Ark./Arkansas RTC/New York AC) 

VS Artur Omarov (Czechia)

130 kg – Aden Attao (Boise, Idaho/New York AC) 

VS Sulkhan Buidze (Georgia)