Ibragim Sagov beat Devon Larratt 4–3 at East vs West 27, recovering from 3–1 down as his flop press broke through Devon’s defense.

The finish made that score look generous to Devon. Devon’s three round wins came from Sagov’s fouls. Sagov kept driving toward the pad, even while his elbow cost him rounds.

That was the problem Devon never solved in Budapest. He could draw mistakes from Sagov. Finding a finish of his own proved much harder.

A 3–1 Lead With No Reliable Finish

Devon had pointed toward Sagov as his next opponent before this match was booked. At the table, Sagov gave him trouble immediately.

An early attempt to meet Sagov inside ran into a strong triceps press. Devon then spent much of the contest defending outside with a low hand. Sagov’s elbow lifts helped Devon build the lead while leaving the pressing threat unresolved.

Those fouls counted. Sagov had to keep his elbow down and get his shoulder into a legal position before his strength could win him anything. He made the comeback harder than it needed to be.

Still, 3–1 suggested Devon was closer to controlling the match than his pulling showed. He needed one more round. Sagov’s press was still getting through.

The Press Kept Working After The Stops

A flop press lets Sagov attack with his wrist bent back. Devon can retain pronation and still have to absorb pressure through his arm as Sagov brings his shoulder behind the drive.

That makes a stop difficult to judge. Devon could hold Sagov in place during some exchanges. He still had to turn those holds into an attack or keep resisting the next press.

The strap also gave Sagov a workable finish. After a shoulder-centerline foul interrupted one attempt, he returned with a successful press to level the match at 1–1. Later pins showed that the same route remained available.

Sagov still had enough pressing power after the long exchanges. By the deciding round, Devon could no longer contain the drive. Sagov was finishing faster when Devon most needed a sustained hold.

The Protest Mattered As Much As The Power

At 3–2, an apparent Devon pin briefly looked like the end. Sagov successfully protested the false start and earned another start. He pinned on the restart to force 3–3.

That intervention was essential. Sagov had spent rounds losing on fouls, then used the review process to keep a premature start from deciding the match.

The loss complicates Devon’s earlier plans at 115 kg. Sagov recovered from the deficit and finished with the stronger attack.

For a rematch, Devon needs a way to stop Sagov getting behind that press. He needs to change the position before Sagov can drive down again.