By Seth Petarra @SethPetar

The 2018 UWW Senior Men's Freestyle European Championships continues on Saturday in Kaspiisk, Russia, featuring another loaded field of ranked competitors.

Here's everything you need to know about the final five weights as some of the continent's top wrestlers vie for titles over the next two days.

61kg

Ranked guys competing: 

#1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS)

#4 Beka Lomtadze (GEO)

#8 Nyurgun Skryabin (RUS)

#9 Vladimir Dubov (BUL)

Returning world runner-up and #1-ranked Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS) will be looking to earn his third straight European title in a field that includes two past world runners-up and a Yarygin champ. 

Rashidov will see Yakutian transfer and #8 Nyurgun Skryabin (BLR) in the quarters. Skryabin was Russia’s Euros rep back in 2016 when he was coming off a great run to a Yarygin title that saw him beat #11(65) Akhmed Chakaev (RUS) and 2016 U-23 European champ Imam Adzhiev (RUS). Since transferring to Belarus, Skryabin won the Takhti Cup title in February and earned a bronze medal finish at the President Cup of Buryatia after a loss to #2 Alexander Bogomoev (RUS). 

In the bottom half of the bracket, Rashidov is expected to beat 2013 60kg world runner-up Vladimir Dubov (BUL) to make his third straight finals European finals match. On the top half, expect to see 2016 world silver medalist and #4 Beka Lomtadze (GEO) make it to the finals where he’ll look to improve upon his 2015 European Games runner-up finish. 

74kg

Ranked Guys competing: 

#2 Khetik Tsabolov (RUS)

#3 Soner Demirts (TUR)

#6 Frank Chamizo (ITA)

#17(70) Joshgun Azimov (AZE)

#19 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO)

This will be two-time world champ Frank Chamizo’s first real test against the top tier of 74kg before he faces off with reigning five-time world/Olympic champ and #1-ranked Jordan Burroughs (USA). Chamizo should be able to win his first match in what is a rematch against 2017 U-23 world bronze medalist Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) from the 2015 European Games. Then Chamizo takes on his biggest test of the tournament by far in returning world runner-up and #2 Khetik Tsabolov (RUS). 

Tsabolov teched and pinned his way into the world finals last year with an 11-0 win over #3 Soner Demirtas (TUR) and a pin while already up 11-4 on #5 (79) Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE), separating himself from the pack and asserting himself as the second-best 74kg wrestler in the world behind Burroughs. 

If Chamizo is able to get past Tsabolov then I think he beats two-time returning European champ Soner Demirtas and wins his third straight European title, but the Tsabolov/Chamizo quarterfinal will likely decide who will be the guy walking away with the European title. 

On the top half, #17 (70) Joshgun Azimov (AZE) is favored to build off the momentum he had in April from the World Cup that saw him beat former world #1 James Green (USA). 

If I had to pick one dark horse to watch, it would be 2017 U-23 European runner-up Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA) on the top half. Khadjiev was a runner-up finish at the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational and has strong wins over 2017 U-23 European champ Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) and 2015 74kg world runner-up Purevjav Unurbat (MGL). Khadjiev has great physicality and superior leg attacks that might give him an edge over the higher-ranked Azimov.

86kg

Ranked guys competing: 

#3 Artur Naifonov (RUS)

#7 Shamil Kudiyamagomedov (ITA)

#9 Alexander Gostiev (AZE)

#16 Zbigniew Baranowski (POL)

#17 Boris Makoev (SVK)

#18 Fatih Erdin (TUR)

After three-time world/Olympic and #1 (92) Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) made the move up to 97kg in 2017, Russia was left looking for a replacement at 86 KG. They found it in eventual world bronze medalist and #4 Vladislav Valiev (RUS). Valiev looked to have the spot looked down for Russia until 2017 when junior world champ and #3 Artur Naifonov (RUS) graduated to the senior circuit. 

A first-year senior, Naifonov has been on an absolute tear since winning junior worlds, picking up titles at the Alans Tournament and the Dan Kolov, along with bronze medal finishes at the Yarygin and Viktor Semenov Tournament. In the past year, he’s notched wins over the #4-, #5-, #7-, and #8-ranked 86kg wrestlers. Something that adds to my belief that Naifonov will win Euros is that he’s beaten the past two European champs for Russia this year; 2017 European champ and #5 Dauren Kurugliev (RUS) in January at the Yarygin and 2016 European champ and #7 Shamil Kudiyamagomedov (ITA) in March at the Dan Kolov. Additionally, Naifonov has two wins last year over the two-time returning European runner-up and #9 Alexander Gostiev (AZE) at the Alans tournament and the Alrosa Cup. 

Besides Naifonov, let’s take a deeper look at how the bracket breaks down. On the top half, I expect #9 Alexander Gostiev (AZE) to win a close semifinal match against 2015 world bronze medalist Sandro Aminashvili (GEO) to make his third straight European Championship final. On the bottom half, expect to see Yarygin runner-up and #18 Fatih Erdin (TUR) beat 2013 world fifth-place finisher Taimuraz Friev Naskidaev (ESP) in the quarters and make the semis. 

Shamil Kudiyamagomedov should dispose of returning world runner-up #17 Boris Makoev (SVK) to set up the rematch from the Dan Kolov against Naifonov in the quarters, which I see Naifonov winning in a razor-thin match. Beyond that, I see Naifonov having a good match with Erdin and winning there, setting up a finals match against #9 Alexander Gostiev (AZE) and extending his record against Gostiev to 3-0 and picking up his first senior European title. My dark horse pick is #16 Zbigniew Baranowski (POL), who will likely see Naifonov in his second round match. Baranowski’s length, strength, and stingy defense could present problems for guys in the bracket and allow him to win those close matches against the very best guys.

92kg

Ranked guys competing: 

#1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS)

#3 Sharif Sharifov (AZE)

#5 Irakli Mtsituri (GEO)

#12 Nicolae Ceban (MDA)

#13 Ivan Yankouski (BLR)

#17 Serdar Boke (TUR)

Three-time world/Olympic champion #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) is looking to win his third European title and should do so dominantly. But for Sadulaev to pick up his third European title he’ll have to contend with past Olympic champ and #3 Sharif Sharifov (AZE) in the finals. 

Let’s break down Sadulaev’s path to his third European title. First off, on the top half, Sharifov, fresh off a title at the International Ukrainian tournament in February over #7 J’den Cox (USA), will have Dan Kolov bronze medalist #13 Nicolae Ceban (MDA) in the quarters. I see Sebastian Jezierzanski (POL) knocking off #17 Serdar Boke (TUR) in the quarters to set up a semis match against Sharifov which he will ultimately lose, sending Sharifov to the finals. 

Fifth-ranked Irakli Mtsituri (GEO) wrestles #13 Ivan Yankouski (BLR) in the first round and I see that being a tepid, low-scoring match that Mtsituri wins. Mtsituri will then beat Shamir Atyan (ARM) in the quarters to set up a semifinal match against Sadulaev. Sadulaev will cruise into the semis where he’ll have a rematch of the Dan Kolov finals in March against the aforementioned Mtsituri. Sadulaev teched in their last meeting, and I expect Sadulaev to tech him again in Kaspiisk. In the finals, expect for Sadulaev to repeat the result from the 2016 Olympic semifinal and win a calculated but controlling match against Sharifov to pick up his third European title.

125kg

Ranked guys competing: 

#1 Taha Akgul (TUR)

#2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO)

#5 Murad Kushkov (RUS)

#9 Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE).

#1 Taha Akgul (TUR) and #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) are on a collision course for the European finals match that will be a rematch of last year’s world’s finals, a match which Petriashvili won 10-8. Akgul will be looking to win his sixth European title—in 2012, '13, ’14, ’15, and '17—and Petriashvili will be looking to win his third European title. He was the 2016 senior champ and won the U-23 European Championship as well. So far, Petriashvili leads the series 2-1, having won at the 2016 European championships and at last year’s world finals. Akgul had a resounding 14-4 win at last year’s European championship quarterfinals. So now let’s see how this bracket will break down and whom Akgul and Petriashvili are going to have to beat to get to the finals.

On the top half, Petriashvili has a cakewalk, with his toughest competition being 2016 European runner-up Robert Baran (POL), who lost to Petriashvili 11-0 in the aforementioned European finals. Akgul’s road to the finals is more difficult but I don’t expect him to lose. He’ll first have 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Ibragim Saidov (BLR), whom he teched in Rio 11-0. Then in the quarters, he’ll have a rematch of last year’s European finals against Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE). I expect Akgul to win that match handily. 

In the semis, Akgul will have two-time Yarygin champ and #5 Murad Kushkov (RUS), whom I think he beats in a relatively low-scoring match, as Kushkov is a pretty big heavyweight. Now something to note with Ibragim Saidov (BLR): this is his first competition since August 2016 at the Rio Olympics, so he’ll be rusty and I don’t expect him to beat Akgul. What will be more telling is when he wrestles Magomedov and Kushkov in the consolation rounds of the bracket and if he’s still able to fit into that mid-tier top 10 spot or if his skills aren’t just there anymore.

In the finals, I’m going with Akgul to get revenge against Petriashvili. For bronze medal matches, give me Baran over Johannes Ludescher (AUT) on Petriashvili’s side of the bracket, and on Akgul’s side give me Kushkov over Magomedov.