Ukrainian sumo wrestler Daniil Yavgusishin, competing under the ring name Aonishiki, extended his winning streak at the final imperial grand tournament of the season, Kyushu Basho 2026, held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan. On the third day of competition, he defeated Japan's Kazuki Ura. The tournament, which started on November 8, will run until November 22. According to Sport RBC.UA, the Ukrainian continues his battle for a spot at the top of the standings.

A Second Step Toward the Top

In his day-three bout, Aonishiki faced Kazuki Ura and triumphed via yorikiri, forcing his opponent out of the dohyo. This marks his second consecutive victory: following an opening loss to Hiroki Asanoyama, the Ukrainian first defeated Naoya Yoshinofuji and now Ura. Yavgusishin thus holds a 2–1 record, placing him among the chasers of the tournament leaders.

Ukrainian Duo: Success and Despair

The tournament's second Ukrainian, Sergei Sokolovsky, known as Shishi Masaru, had less luck on day three. His opponent was the Mongolian Oshoma, who secured victory using the hatakikomi technique. For Sokolovsky, this is his third consecutive loss at Kyushu Basho 2026, having previously fallen to Asakoryu and Takanosho, leaving him still seeking his first win.

Day of Upsets: Hoshoryu Falls

The biggest surprise of the third day was the defeat of yokozuna Hoshoryu, who failed to handle Japan's Fujirega, who won via oshitaoshi. This is Hoshoryu's first setback of the current tournament. Ozeki Kirishima also lost, falling to Yoshinofuji via uwatenage. Meanwhile, fellow yokozuna Onosato defeated Asanoyama via yoritaoshi, ozeki Kotozakura overcame Fujiseyun, and sekiwake Atamifuji proved stronger than Daieisho.

Standings and Outlook

Among other notable results of the day, Takayasu defeated Hakunofuji, Takerufuji beat Gonoyama, Kotoshhoho topped Hiraodumi, Wakamotoharu defeated Roga, and Oho bested Asahakuryu. After three days of competition, four rikishi remain undefeated: Atamifuji, Kinbozan, Takanosho, and Devanoryu. Aonishiki sits at 2–1 among the pursuers, while Shishi Masaru remains winless. Each participant will fight 15 bouts, and the race for the top spots is set to continue until November 22.