Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki Arata defeated Mongolian yokozuna Hōshōryū Tomokatsu in a playoff to win the Kyushu Honbasho. This victory made him the first Ukrainian wrestler to win a top-level sumo tournament.
The 21-year-old, born Danylo Yavhusishyn, fled Ukraine in 2022 and arrived in Japan two months later. He reached the upper divisions of sumo in just one year after beginning his career in July 2023.
He was promoted to sekiwake in the Kyushu tournament and secured the title through a tie-breaking match. The Japan Sumo Association plans to hold a special meeting to consider his promotion to ozeki.