---
title: "One Step from the Emperor's Cup: Aonishiki Wins on the Penultimate Day of the Sumo Grand Tournament"
description: "Ukrainian sumotori Daniil Aonishiki won on the 14th day of Aki Basho 2026, tying with yokozuna Onosato for the top spot ahead of the grand final."
date: 2026-09-26T14:58:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/aonishiki-one-step-from-emperors-cup-aki-basho-2026
tags: [sumo, aki-basho, aonishiki, yavgusishin, onosato, japan-sports]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# One Step from the Emperor's Cup: Aonishiki Wins on the Penultimate Day of the Sumo Grand Tournament

![Ukrainian sumotori Daniil Aonishiki on the dohyo during the Aki Basho 2026 tournament](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/26/aonishiki-shag-ot-kubka-imperatora-aki-basho-2026/aonishiki-shag-ot-kubka-imperatora-aki-basho-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Daniil Aonishiki defeated Kirishima on day 14 of Aki Basho 2026.
- Tournament leader yokozuna Onosato lost to Kotozakuri.
- A head-to-head final between Aonishiki and Onosato with an 11-3 record takes place on Sunday, September 27.
- This is the Ukrainian wrestler's chance to win his fourth Emperor's Cup.

Tokyo has reached the culminating moment of the prestigious professional sumo grand tournament, Aki Basho 2026. The penultimate 14th day of the competition brought incredible emotions to Ukrainian fans of this ancient Japanese martial art. Two Ukrainian rikishi—Daniil Aonishiki Yavgusishin and Sergey Shishi Sokolovsky—performed extremely successfully in their bouts on the dohyo, securing vital victories ahead of the grand finale.

### Success of Ukrainian Wrestlers on the Final Straight

At the center of attention for experts and fans was 22-year-old Ukrainian ozeki Daniil Aonishiki Yavgusishin. In a tense 14th-day bout, he faced experienced Mongolian sumotori Kirishima. After the initial tachi-ai collision, the opponents froze for a moment in the center of the arena, assessing each other's positions. Demonstrating remarkable tactical flexibility and physical strength, the Ukrainian managed to grab his opponent's mawashi (belt) with one hand and powerfully pushed his rival outside the straw ring. Simultaneously, Sergey Shishi Sokolovsky secured his own successful bout, standing his ground against the strong Japanese wrestler Abi thanks to the skillful use of his own strength advantage.

### Grand Finale Intrigue and the Battle for Main Trophies

The situation at the top of the Aki Basho 2026 standings reached its peak ahead of the final day. Tournament leader yokozuna Onosato unexpectedly suffered a defeat against ozeki Kotozakuri, who shifted just in time during the favorite's attack to cause him to fall outside the dohyo. This result allowed Daniil Aonishiki to tie with the yokozuna in wins. Now, both contenders head into their head-to-head showdown on Sunday, September 27, with identical records: 11 wins and 3 losses. At stake are not only the Emperor's Cup, but also the Prime Minister's Cup and other prestigious Japanese sumo awards.

### Historical Context and Head-to-Head Statistics

The upcoming final is of colossal importance for the history of sumo and the sports careers of both athletes. Head-to-head statistics currently favor Daiki Nakamura (Onosato), who leads 4:1. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian sumotori secured his only victory against the formidable yokozuna quite recently—in July at Nagoya Basho 2026. In case of a triumph on Sunday, Daniil will claim his fourth Emperor's Cup in his professional career. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Onosato is aiming for his sixth basho title, having won his last one exactly a year ago at Aki Basho 2025.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [В шаге от Кубка императора: Аонишики победил в предпоследнем дне гранд-турнира с сумо](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/krok-vid-kubka-imperatora-aonishiki-peremig-1790434614.html) - Основной источник информации о победе украинских сумоистов на 14-й день турнира.
- [Аонишики в шаге от Кубка императора. Как прошел 14 день Aki basho](https://sport.ua/news/910425-aonishiki-v-shage-ot-kubka-imperatora-kak-proshel-14-den-aki-basho) - Детали о схватке Аонишики с Киришимой и поражении Оносато.
- [Аонишики одержал шестую победу подряд. Как прошел 12 день Aki basho](https://sport.ua/news/909959-aonishiki-oderzhal-shestuyu-pobedu-podryad-kak-proshel-12-den-aki-basho) - Детали о схватке Аонишики с Киришимой и поражении Оносато.
- [Украинец Данило Явгусишин одержал седьмую подряд победу на турнире Aki Basho](https://sportnews.24tv.ua/ru/aonishiki-arata-i-danilo-javgusishin-vyigrali-10-j-poedinok-na-turnire-aki-basho-2026_n3149290) - Подтверждение успешного выступления Явгусишина.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When is the final of Aki Basho 2026?
**A:** The final day of the tournament and the decisive bout will take place on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

### Q: Who will Daniil Aonishiki face in the final bout?
**A:** The Ukrainian ozeki will face yokozuna Onosato, who also has 11 wins and 3 losses.