ONE Samurai 3 takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, at Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan. The nine-fight lineup features a mixture of kickboxing, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts, with reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari taking center stage against Myanmar’s Har Ling Om in an atomweight kickboxing showdown. Former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu meets Willie van Rooyen in the co-main event.

The remainder of the card brings plenty of Japanese talent into the spotlight. Shimon Yoshinari faces Suablack Tor Pran49 in Muay Thai action, while Hyu Iwata meets Hyuma Hitachi in kickboxing. Hiroba Minowa and Yuta Miyazawa square off in a strawweight MMA contest. Ryuya Okuwaki battles Chokdee Maxjandee in Muay Thai, Kosei Yoshida meets Zhao Zhengdong in kickboxing, Seiichiro Ito takes on Kazusa Kurobe in MMA, and Fiji faces Yuki Tanaka in a featherweight kickboxing bout.

Nadaka Takes on a New Challenge

There are few things Nadaka has not accomplished in the striking world, but the 25-year-old Japanese star is about to add something new to his résumé.

The reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion will temporarily step away from the sport that has made him one of the most decorated young fighters on the planet and make his professional kickboxing debut against Har Ling Om.

Nadaka enters the contest with a 67-6 overall striking record and an incredible 41-fight winning streak. He has not lost since 2019. While this will mark his professional kickboxing debut, he is no stranger to the ruleset after accumulating experience in amateur kickboxing earlier in his career.

That experience could prove valuable against an opponent who has nothing to lose.

Har Ling Om brings a 32-6 record into Yokohama and has competed in both Lethwei and Muay Thai. The 28-year-old Myanmar fighter has already picked up two Muay Thai victories under the ONE banner, but defeating Nadaka would dwarf anything else he has accomplished inside the promotion.

The stakes are obvious for both men. Nadaka can extend his winning streak to 42 fights and potentially begin positioning himself for a run at a second ONE Championship belt. Har Ling Om, meanwhile, can instantly change his standing in the division by knocking off one of the sport’s most accomplished pound-for-pound strikers. A victory could even put him in position for another meeting with Nadaka — this time with the Japanese star’s Muay Thai championship at stake.

Nadaka has already conquered plenty in Muay Thai. Saturday night will provide the first indication of just how far he can take his talents under a different ruleset.

Wakamatsu Begins Road Back to the Title

Yuya Wakamatsu knows exactly where he wants to go next.

The former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion returns in the co-main event against South Africa’s Willie van Rooyen, and both fighters have a common target waiting at the top of the division: reigning champion Avazbek Kholmirzaev.

Wakamatsu enjoyed a tremendous 2025 campaign. He knocked out longtime rival Adriano Moraes in the opening round of their rematch to capture the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship in March. He followed that performance by stopping ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio in the second round in November.

Then came Kholmirzaev.

The Uzbek standout stopped Wakamatsu at ONE Samurai 1 in April, taking the flyweight crown and sending the Japanese veteran back into contender status. Now, the 31-year-old Wakamatsu begins his climb back toward the championship in front of his home-country fans.

Van Rooyen’s motivation is remarkably similar.

Kholmirzaev handed the South African his only professional defeat, submitting him by armbar in van Rooyen’s ONE Championship debut last November. The 23-year-old responded in March by scoring a third-round TKO of Jeremy Miado.

At 8-1, van Rooyen has the opportunity to make a massive jump in the flyweight hierarchy. Beating a former world champion in Wakamatsu would be the biggest victory of his career and provide a compelling argument for another crack at the man responsible for the lone blemish on his record.

For Wakamatsu, a win keeps his hopes of quickly reclaiming the championship alive. For van Rooyen, it could transform him from an emerging prospect into a legitimate world-title challenger.

With both men looking for redemption against the same champion, there should be little mystery surrounding what is at stake.

ONE Samurai 3 Fight Card

Kickboxing – Atomweight: Nadaka Yoshinari vs. Har Ling Om
MMA – Flyweight: Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Willie van Rooyen
Muay Thai – Flyweight: Shimon Yoshinari vs. Suablack Tor Pran49
Kickboxing – Flyweight: Hyu Iwata vs. Hyuma Hitachi
MMA – Strawweight: Hiroba Minowa vs. Yuta Miyazawa
Muay Thai – Atomweight: Ryuya Okuwaki vs. Chokdee Maxjandee
Kickboxing – Flyweight: Kosei Yoshida vs. Zhao Zhengdong
MMA – Strawweight: Seiichiro Ito vs. Kazusa Kurobe
Kickboxing – Featherweight: Fiji vs. Yuki Tanaka

BKFC Fight Night Clearwater takes place Friday, Oct. 23, at the OCC Roadhouse and Museum in Clearwater, Fla. The event marks the promotion’s fourth trip to the venue and will feature No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender Ryan Reber against Justin Street in the main event.

The action begins at 8 p.m. ET, with doors opening at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are currently on sale through BKFC.

“The OCC Roadhouse and Museum is one of our favorite venues, with the fans and the fights always making for an electrifying atmosphere,” said BKFC founder and president David Feldman. “Ryan Reber and Justin Street are ready to settle their score in a high-stakes headliner, and we’ve got a stacked undercard featuring numerous world-class and fast-rising local bare-knuckle fighters for another can’t-miss night in Clearwater.”

Reber enters the contest with an 8-2 bare-knuckle record and another opportunity to strengthen his position near the top of the promotion’s bantamweight division. The Pinellas Park, Fla., fighter is coming off a dominant decision victory over Joshua Oxendine on April 24 at the same OCC Roadhouse and Museum.

The former BKFC world title challenger will face an opponent carrying considerable momentum into Clearwater.

Street has won three straight fights since suffering the second loss of his BKFC career. “The Nightmare” most recently stopped Ronny Hauser in the fourth round on June 26 in Hammond, Ind. That victory followed a unanimous decision over AJ Craig in November 2025 and a second-round knockout of Matt Russo in March 2025.

Street’s current run has improved his BKFC record to 4-2 and gives him an opportunity to make a significant jump in the bantamweight picture by defeating the division’s No. 2-ranked contender.

Another highly ranked former champion will take center stage in the co-main event.

Former BKFC light heavyweight world champion Jared Warren returns against undefeated Thomas Angeloff. Warren, who fights out of Tampa, Fla., brings an 8-3 record into the contest and will look to build upon his first-round knockout of Joseph Creer in May 2025.

Angeloff has only made two appearances inside the BKFC squared circle, but neither opponent has made it to the final bell. He knocked out Travis Smith in the second round in October 2025 before producing another second-round knockout against Joseph Schillizzi in June.

The feature fight brings former bantamweight world title challenger Michael Larrimore back into action against Nate Morrow.

Larrimore challenged Jamel Herring for the BKFC bantamweight world championship on May 22, going the distance in the defeat. The Florida fighter carries a 3-2 record into his return against Morrow, who has not competed for BKFC since making his promotional debut in May 2024. Morrow knocked out Josh Krejci in the third round of that contest.

The remainder of the card features a strong Florida presence.

St. Petersburg’s Mike Heckert faces Rickie Mcconnico in a welterweight contest, while Crystal Van Wyk welcomes promotional newcomer Noelia Vasallo to BKFC in the women’s strawweight division.

Undefeated middleweights Tony Murphy and Brandon Conley will also put their records on the line against each other. Murphy enters at 3-0, while Conley brings a 3-0-1 record into the matchup.

The middleweight division will also feature newcomers Tyler Baker and Yari Kaganovsky. At lightweight, Sam Delao and Chris Keirn will make their BKFC debuts against each other.

Jason Dinunzio will look for his first BKFC victory when he faces Gabriel Freyre in another lightweight contest.

Rounding out the announced lineup, Chachi Versace meets Angelo Trujillo in a men’s flyweight bout.

With Reber attempting to maintain his place among the leading contenders at bantamweight, Street riding a three-fight winning streak and Warren facing an undefeated opponent in the co-main event, BKFC’s fourth stop at the OCC Roadhouse and Museum has several divisional implications.

BKFC Fight Night Clearwater takes place Friday, Oct. 23, at the OCC Roadhouse and Museum in Clearwater, Fla. The first fight is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Over those 15 days, hundreds of wrestlers will be competing to earn those all-important kachi-koshi (winning records). Winning records mean improving your rank and stature in the sport (and your stable). The top 42 wrestlers in the game will be competing for something more than that, though. They’ll be trying to earn a top-division yusho (championship).

As always, there’s lots of drama and compelling storylines to be found around a Grand Sumo tournament. Below are five things I am paying special attention to this month.

Aonishiki looks unstoppable

Aonishiki won the July tournament, beating Atamifuji and Kirishima in a playoff. That was the 22-year-old Ukrainian’s third top-division title. The 12-3 record earned him more than a trophy, though. That record was also enough to see him promoted back to the rank of ozeki (one below the ultimate rank of yokozuna).

Aonishiki had been demoted from the ozeki rank for the July tournament due to back-to-back losing records (the only way, other than retirement, that an ozeki can lose their rank). These records came about due to an ankle injury that saw him sit out the entire May tournament (and thus receive a 0-0-15 record).

While he was dealing with his injury, Aonishiki looked human for the first time in his young career. His two injury-hit tournaments are the only tournaments he has ever received a losing record in. He was limping in July, but that didn’t stop him from showing his incredible talent on the dohyo.

The July performance firmly puts Aonishiki back on track to make history as the first-ever yokozuna born in Europe. If he wins this tournament convincingly, it will be hard to deny him that promotion. The way things are looking now, and with the injury struggles of the current two yokozuna, it’s very hard to bet against Aonishiki achieving that.

The field has caught up to him a little, but Aonishiki has to remain the favorite to repeat here.

Atamifuji working on an ozeki run

Atamifuji lost out to Aonishiki in July. He now has the dubious distinction of being a five-time runner-up. Despite missing out on yet another yusho, the 24-year-old looked very good in July — as he has all year. The heaviest man in the division has recently blossomed into also one of the meanest and toughest to beat.

His 12-3 record in July puts him on a path to a potential ozeki promotion (which would be a first for him). A wrestler typically earns an ozeki promotion for amassing 33 wins across three consecutive tournaments as a sekiwake.

Atamifuji, who is a sekiwake, needs 21 wins in this tournament and the year-ending November tournament to be promoted to ozeki for the 2027 New Year tournament. With how he’s performing, he seems a good bet to get at least 10 wins this month and keep this goal alive.

Fujinokawa gets his toughest test yet

Fujinokawa is one of the most popular wrestlers in the sport right now. He’s a small guy, but he punches way above his weight. His violent and chaotic style has made scores of much bigger wrestlers look foolish this year (Fujinokawa’s first in the top division).

Fujinokawa’s most notable achievement, so far, is that he has earned four kinboshi (gold stars). A kinboshi is the award given to a maegashira-ranked wrestler who defeats a yokozuna. In both July and March, he beat both Hoshoryu and Onosato.

Those wins do have some asterisks, though. Neither yokozuna has been in top fighting shape this year, and Fujinokawa’s tendency to leave his line early has resulted in a few cheap wins this year (especially in one of those Hoshoryu matches).

You can’t deny how fun Fujinokawa has been, though. In this tournament, he will be fighting at the sekiwake rank for the first time in his career. He’s received a bumper promotion from maegashira 1 to sekiwake (skipping the komusubi rank) due to the records of those around him. This sekiwake rank represents a massive test for the 21-year-old, since he’ll be expected to wrestle all the top names and best challengers this month.

Kotoshoho and Kotoeiho leading the joi

Brothers Kotoshoho and Kotoeiho have been ranked at maegashira 1 for this tournament. They are one of three sets of brothers in the top division this month (with Wakamotoharu and Wakatakakage and Asasuiryu and Asakoryu).

This is a career-high ranking for younger brother Kotoeiho. Kotoeiho earned this spot for his second straight tournament as a dark-horse contender for the cup. In both July and May, he was able to get out to a good start and then hang around up until the very last few days of the tournament.

Kotoshoho falls to this position after an unsuccessful tournament at sekiwake. Kotoshoho had a very inconsistent career up until July 2025, when he was a shock top-division title winner (beating Aonishiki on the final day). Since then, he’s managed to string together good records and keep himself at the top of the division.

Both brothers have their work cut out for them in September. The joi (ranks maegashira 1 to 4) is a tough place to be, with a murderers’ row of opponents lined up for the first week of the tournament. These wrestlers usually face all yokozuna, ozeki and san’yaku (sekiwake and komusubi)-ranked wrestlers to start their tournaments.

Nabatame returns to juryo

This month’s juryo (second division) includes some notable names. Among those is Nabatame, who has grown very popular through YouTube (where he is featured cooking — and eating — food at his Futagoyama stable). He burst onto the scene last year with a volatile pushing/thrusting style. But after making it to juryo, an injury sidelined him and forced him down to makushita (the third division). He’s won his way back to the second division now, though.

Also in the second division is Tanji, who went viral for standing up to Micah Parsons when the NFL star visited his Arashio stable.

Popular former top-division stars Midorifuji, Enho, Mitakeumi and Tamawashi will all be trying to earn they way back o the top division, too.

MORE SUMO ON COMBAT PRESS

Combat Press will include a viewing guide, mid-way and final results for the September tournament. If you’d like even more sumo coverage, subscribe to my newsletter Sumo Stomp! That newsletter will provide daily updates, highlights and analysis during the tournament.

T-Mobile Arena and Paramount+ have announced a multi-year partnership that will rename the venue’s two-acre outdoor entertainment space Paramount+ Plaza. As part of the agreement, Paramount+ also becomes an official partner and the exclusive streaming partner of T-Mobile Arena.

The newly branded Paramount+ Plaza will officially debut during Zuffa Boxing’s Garcia vs. Benn fight week, which culminates Saturday, Sept. 12, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Fans will get their first look at the new setup one day earlier when the plaza hosts the Garcia vs. Benn ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday, Sept. 11. The event will be open to the public.

The partnership creates another significant connection between Paramount+ and combat sports. The streaming platform is the exclusive home of the UFC in the United States, while T-Mobile Arena has become the promotion’s primary home for major events in Las Vegas.

That connection will be on full display Saturday.

Before Garcia and Benn step into the ring, the plaza’s large outdoor screens will show Noche UFC live from Glendale, Ariz. Fans in Las Vegas will be able to watch the UFC card before doors open for the boxing event later that evening.

Garcia vs. Benn will also stream live on Paramount+ globally, excluding the U.K. and Ireland, at no additional cost to subscribers.

Throughout fight week, Paramount+ will operate the Cube, a customer lounge featuring an immersive activation based on the Paramount+ series “MobLand.”

“Paramount+ is home to some of the most compelling stories, franchises and live sports in entertainment, and this partnership gives us an exciting new way to bring that content beyond the screen and directly to fans,” said Domenic Di Meglio, chief marketing officer and data officer for Paramount+.

The agreement was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships and gives Paramount+ a year-round presence outside one of the busiest sports and entertainment venues on the Las Vegas Strip.

Since opening in April 2016, T-Mobile Arena has hosted UFC championship cards, Vegas Golden Knights games, major boxing events, concerts and other live entertainment. The venue welcomes more than 1 million visitors annually across more than 100 events.

The outdoor plaza has also served as a gathering point for some of the city’s largest sports celebrations, including the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup championship parade and Las Vegas Aces championship rallies.

“Paramount+ sits at the intersection of premium entertainment, live sports and culture, making this partnership an incredibly natural fit for T-Mobile Arena and Las Vegas,” said Sally Bae, senior vice president of global partnerships for AEG in Las Vegas.

For Paramount+, the deal provides another way to promote its growing live sports portfolio beyond the streaming platform itself. For T-Mobile Arena, it gives the venue a permanent partner for a space that has increasingly become part of the experience surrounding major fight weeks in Las Vegas.

“Paramount+ Plaza represents an exciting next chapter for one of the most visible and important entertainment gathering spaces on the Las Vegas Strip,” said Dan Quinn, MGM Resorts’ senior vice president of entertainment, arena and venue operations.

The timing of the launch makes the combat sports connection difficult to miss. Paramount+ Plaza will begin its run with boxing weigh-ins on Friday, followed by a UFC broadcast and Garcia vs. Benn on Saturday — effectively turning the space outside T-Mobile Arena into a combat sports hub for the weekend.

In the main event, ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon makes his first defense of the belt when he meets surging challenger Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri. Rambolek captured the championship just six months ago, while Yod-IQ enters the title fight riding a 10-bout winning streak.

It has been quite the turnaround for Rambolek.

After hitting a rough patch, the 23-year-old began training alongside Thai greats Superbon and Nong-O Hama. The move paid dividends. Rambolek rattled off five consecutive victories to earn a shot at then-champion Nabil Anane. In March, he went five rounds with the towering Anane and emerged with a unanimous decision to claim the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Now, the champion gets Yod-IQ, and there might not be a hotter challenger in the division.

The 24-year-old PK Saenchai Muaythaigym product has been nearly unstoppable since suffering a loss to Alexey Balyko in September 2023. Yod-IQ responded with nine straight victories, including a knockout of Balyko that earned him a $100,000 ONE Championship contract. Then, in May, Yod-IQ handed top contender Kiamran Nabati a defeat to punch his ticket to a world title opportunity.

There is already another challenger waiting in the wings. Suakim Pongsuphan PK is positioned to face the winner. That adds another wrinkle if Yod-IQ captures the championship, as Suakim is his friend and PK Saenchai Muaythaigym training partner.

Rambolek has the belt, but Yod-IQ has all the momentum. Something has to give when the two Thai standouts meet under the bright lights at Lumpinee.

Seksan and Muangthai Meet One Last Time

The co-main event needs no championship belt to make it special.

Four-time Muay Thai world champion Seksan Or Kwanmuang will make the walk for the final time when he meets longtime rival Muangthai PK Saenchai. After nearly three decades in the sport, “The Man Who Yields To No One” is ready to hang up the gloves.

Few fighters could have come up with a more appropriate way to end Seksan’s career.

Seksan built his reputation on a granite chin and relentless forward pressure, but his career received another boost when he arrived at ONE Friday Fights in 2023. The veteran turned back the clock with a string of wars and memorable performances, eventually earning a $100,000 contract with the promotion. Now 37 years old and riding a losing streak, Seksan has decided the time has come for one final fight.

Enter the “Elbow Zombie.”

Former Lumpinee Stadium world champion Muangthai has already fought Seksan five times. Their rivalry dates back to 2015, with Seksan winning their first four encounters by decision on Thailand’s regional circuit. The dynamic changed when they met under ONE Championship’s four-ounce-glove format at ONE Friday Fights 114 in June 2025. This time, Muangthai earned the unanimous decision.

That makes Friday’s meeting the sixth chapter of a rivalry that has spanned more than a decade.

For Seksan, the objective is simple: leave Lumpinee with one final victory and close the series with a 5-1 advantage. For Muangthai, there is an opportunity to spoil the farewell and become the only fighter to defeat Seksan twice in ONE Championship.

There might be no better opponent for Seksan’s final fight.

The Rest of the Card

The Inner Circle 30 features three additional Muay Thai contests. PTT Apichart Farm meets Hamza Rachid at bantamweight, Sangarthit Looksaikongdin faces Logan Chant at bantamweight, and Freddie Haggerty takes on Rungruanglek TN Muaythai in a strawweight contest.

But Friday night will largely revolve around two very different stories at Lumpinee. Rambolek is trying to establish his reign at the top of ONE Championship’s bantamweight Muay Thai division against perhaps its hottest challenger. Just before that, Seksan will attempt to put the finishing touch on a career built around doing exactly what his nickname promised: yielding to no one.

The Inner Circle 30 takes place Friday, Sept. 11, at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The event airs live on Paramount+ starting at 7 p.m. ET. Check below for full results.

On Saturday, Sep. 19, BKB will make its official debut in Mexico with BKB 59 in Tijuana. However, the event is designed to represent much more than a one-night stop for the promotion. Tijuana is intended to serve as the launching point for BKB’s broader expansion into one of the world’s most deeply rooted combat-sports markets.

In other words, BKB is planting its flag in Mexico.

The move comes as the organization continues to expand beyond its established presence in the United States and United Kingdom. Mexico represents a natural next step. The country has produced generations of boxing champions and maintains a fight culture that has made combat sports a significant part of its sporting identity.

Bare-knuckle boxing now gets its opportunity to tap into that audience.

BKB’s Mexican expansion is being powered by a partnership with Zanfer Promotions, one of Latin America’s leading boxing promoters. The relationship is intended to extend beyond BKB 59, creating opportunities for future live events, broadcast distribution and sponsorship business throughout the region.

The promotion is also entering the market with considerable momentum online.

Forbes previously reported that BKB had accumulated more than 53 million likes on TikTok while identifying Mexico as an important component of the company’s international growth strategy. BKB’s larger ambition is to transform the promotion into a mainstream sports franchise capable of filling arenas across the United States, United Kingdom and Mexico.

The first test comes in Tijuana, and BKB isn’t easing its way into the market.

Two world championship fights will anchor BKB 59, including a hometown champion in the main event.

Tijuana-based Julian Fernandez will defend the BKB Super Cruiserweight World Championship against Dan Podmore. The Mexican-born Fernandez provides BKB with an immediate local connection as the promotion enters the country. He has compiled a 3-0 record in bare-knuckle competition, with all three victories coming inside the distance.

Fernandez’s presence atop the card gives the promotion something particularly valuable for its Mexican launch: a champion the local audience can call its own.

The night’s second championship encounter will feature Cecy Ulloa and Andy Nguyen battling for the vacant BKB Super Flyweight World Championship.

Launching its Mexican operation with two championship fights sends a clear message. BKB isn’t treating Mexico as an experimental international destination. The promotion is entering the market with championship stakes, local talent and plans for a lasting presence.

BKB also arrives with a growing collection of recognizable names from across combat sports. Its roster has featured former boxing world champions and MMA standouts, including Paulie Malignaggi, Victor Ortiz, JoJo Diaz Jr., Yuriorkis Gamboa and Lee Selby.

That crossover appeal has been an important component of bare-knuckle boxing’s modern resurgence, but developing local stars could prove even more important as BKB establishes itself in new territories.

Fernandez gets the first opportunity to carry that banner in Mexico.

Tijuana has long been synonymous with boxing, making it an appropriate starting point for BKB’s latest international push. The city won’t simply host the organization’s 59th numbered event. If BKB’s plans come together, Sep. 19 could mark the beginning of something much larger.

BKB 59 is the first step. Mexico is the destination.

Below are the rankings for that top division, as well as some commentary on points of interest.

Grand Sumo Top Division Rankings

East	Rank	West
Onosato	Yokozuna	Hoshoryu
Kirishima	Ozeki	Kotozakura
Aonishiki	Ozeki
Atamifuji	Sekiwake	Fujinokawa
Hakunofuji	Komusubi	Daieisho
Kotoshoho	M1	Kotoeiho
Takayasu	M2	Yoshinofuji
Gonoyama	M3	Churanoumi
Takanosho	M4	Fujiryoga
Roga	M5	Oshoma
Asanoyama	M6	Ichiyamamoto
Fujiseun	M7	Nishikifuji
Takerufuji	M8	Hiradoumi
Ura	M9	Shishi
Oho	M10	Kinbozan
Wakamotoharu	M11	Shodai
Wakatakakage	M12	Asahakuryu
Asakoryu	M13	Abi
Tobizaru	M14	Chiyoshoma
Asasuiryu	M15	Tokihayate
Wakanosho	M16	Toshinofuji
Shonannoumi	M17

Aonishiki Back at Ozeki

Ukrainian superstar Aonishiki is back at the rank of ozeki for the September tournament. He earned his way back to this rank thanks to getting double-digit wins in the last tournament (the Nagoya basho in July). He also won that tournament, beating now-fellow ozeki Kirishima and sekiwake Atamifuji in a three-way playoff.

Aonishiki managed to get back his ozeki rank thanks to the fact that the Nagoya basho was his first tournament since being demoted from that rank. Demoted ozeki have one chance to get the rank back with a 10-win-or-more record in their immediate next tournament. If they miss out on that, then they have to go back to the regular method of becoming an ozeki (33 wins over three consecutive tournaments).

Aonishiki being an ozeki again means he is just one rank away from becoming a yokozuna. If he were to reach that ultimate goal, he would become the first-ever European-born yokozuna. Winning this upcoming tournament might be enough to clinch that and make history.

Fujinokawa Debuts at Sekiwake

Fujinokawa benefited from a bumper promotion from maegashira 1 to sekiwake for September. He gets that promotion despite lodging just an 8-7 record in July. He was advanced up to the esteemed rank of sekiwake thanks to the previous sekiwake Kotoshoho and both komusubi (Yoshinofuji and Oho) doing so poorly in July. Him beating both yokozuna in July (repeating what he did in March) also helped.

This is the first time Fujinokawa has ever appeared in the san’yaku ranks (the name given to the komusubi and sekiwake spots). He’s still only 21, and the September tournament will be just his eighth top-division tournament (and only 22nd total).

Fujinokawa has gotten very popular since joining the top division. He’s one of the smaller men in the sport, yet he fights with tremendous heart … and violence.

Three Sets of Brothers in the Top Division

The September tournament will feature three sets of brothers ranked in the top division.

The highest-ranked pair of siblings are Kotoeiho and Kotoshoho, who sit across from each other at the maegashira 1 ranks. Kotoshoho was the shock winner of last year’s Nagoya tournament. Kotoeiho, who is younger, has been one of the surprises of 2026, going close to competing for a title in two of four tournaments. Kotoeiho is also owner of the best shiko stomp in the top division.

The well-tenured Waka Bros. Wakamotoharu and Wakatakakage remain in the top division, too. They’ve shared the top division for much of the past decade. But both are in trouble of losing their place there. Wakamotoharu had an awful July tournament, and that has seen him slip to M11, a rank he hasn’t been since he first burst onto the scene. Wakatakakage is one rank below him, after he sat out the entire July tournament due to complications from compartment syndrome in his thigh. Wakatakakage was reportedly lucky to save his leg, let alone his career, as a result of that. He is likely going to sit out all of the September tournament, too, and will thus end up demoted to juryo (the second division).

Our third set of brothers is Asakoryu and Asasuiryu. Asakoryu was ranked dead last in makuuchi in July but saved his top-division skin with a 9-6 record. Asasuiryu lost out on the juryo championship in July, but his record was good enough to promote him to the top division for the first time in his career.

None of these brothers will face each other in the tournament, though. Brother vs. brother bouts are strictly forbidden in Grand Sumo.

Toshinofuji the Other Newcomer

Toshinofuji, along with Asasuiryu, is the only other man making his top-division debut in September. The big Mongolian finished a runner-up (along with Asasuiryu) in juryo in July. He was recruited into sumo by the GOAT Hakuho. Toshinofuji’s grandfather coached Hakuho’s father in bokh (Mongolian folk wrestling). Hakuho’s father, Jigjifiin Monkhbat, is regarded as one of the finest bokh wrestlers ever.

Toshinofuji was initially part of Hakuho’s Miyagino stable. However, he—along with everyone else—was absorbed into the Isegahama stable as a result of a hazing scandal (which did not involve Toshinofuji). He’s one of six Isegahama wrestlers in the top division this month. That’s far more than any other stable has there.

Other Notes

Shonannoumi and Tokihayate are the other wrestlers promoted to the top division. Shonannoumi won the juryo tournament in July. Tokihayate finished the tournament with a good record and returns to makuuchi after just one tournament away.

Daieisezan, Kazuma, Mitakeumi and Onokatsu make way for them after being sent down to juryo.

Wakanosho was spared a demotion to juryo, despite going 5-2-8 in July (after he blew out his knee on day six). He has been demoted just five places on those 10 net losses (it’s often one-for-one).

The joi ranks (M1 to M4) for September include Takayasu, Yoshinofuji, Gonoyama, Churanoumi, Takanosho and Fujiryoga (alongside the Koto Bros.). This is a first joi appearance for Fujiryoga, who impressed in his hometown Nagoya tournament in July.

Hakunofuji, another Isegahama wrestler, has been promoted to komusubi for September. That’s a career high for him.

More Sumo on Combat Press

Combat Press will provide more Grand Sumo coverage in the coming weeks. We’ll have our own power rankings and then a preview and viewing guide for the aki basho.

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Your hands start dropping. Footwork becomes slower. You throw single shots instead of combinations, and every clinch suddenly feels like an opportunity to steal a few seconds of rest.

The obvious conclusion is that you need more cardio.

Sometimes that is true. But fighters can spend plenty of time running, hitting pads, sparring, and doing brutal conditioning sessions and still fade late. The problem is often not a lack of effort. It is that their conditioning does not match what actually happens during a fight.

Fight night exposes those mistakes quickly. Fixing them starts with training smarter rather than simply adding another exhausting session.

Stop Turning Every Session Into a Test of Toughness

Combat sports reward toughness, which makes it tempting to believe that harder training automatically creates better conditioning.

It does not.

If pad work, sparring, strength training, running, and conditioning circuits are all performed at maximum intensity, fatigue starts accumulating faster than the body can recover from it. Eventually, the fighter enters important sessions already tired.

Recovery therefore has to be treated as part of preparation rather than time stolen from it. What that downtime looks like differs between athletes. Away from competition and training responsibilities, adults may have their own ways of relaxing, including lifestyle products from brands such as Delta Munchies. For competitive fighters, however, anything potentially impairing or restricted by a promotion, athletic commission, or anti-doping program needs to be considered carefully.

More broadly, recovery means giving the body enough opportunity to adapt to the work already completed.

A fighter who arrives fresh enough to perform high-quality rounds can accomplish more than one who simply survives another workout.

Don’t Assume More Roadwork Will Fix Everything

Running has a long history in boxing and other combat sports, and aerobic conditioning remains valuable.

The mistake is expecting one type of running to solve every conditioning problem.

A fight is not performed at one continuous pace. Fighters move, explode into combinations, defend, wrestle or clinch, reset, and then suddenly accelerate again. Those bursts repeat while opportunities for recovery remain limited.

That means conditioning needs multiple components.

Steady aerobic work can help develop the base that supports recovery, but fight preparation also needs appropriately programmed higher-intensity work and sport-specific rounds.

Look at what actually happens when you become tired.

If you can continue moving but lose explosiveness, simply adding longer runs may not address the weakness. If your feet stop moving after repeated exchanges, that is useful information too.

Conditioning should target the problem you actually have rather than automatically prescribing more miles.

Learn to Control Your Pace Before Trying to Increase It

Sometimes the gas tank is not the biggest problem.

The accelerator is.

Fighters can waste enormous amounts of energy during early rounds by treating every exchange as an opportunity to finish the fight. They tense their shoulders, throw every punch at maximum power, chase opponents unnecessarily, and refuse to let a quiet moment remain quiet.

That approach feels impressive while you are fresh.

Then the bill arrives.

Practice changing gears during sparring and pad work. Learn when you can maintain controlled pressure and when an opening genuinely justifies an explosive attack.

Pay attention to unnecessary tension too.

Constantly clenching your fists, raising your shoulders, or muscling through movements consumes energy without necessarily improving performance. Experienced fighters often appear relaxed precisely because they are not spending energy until they need it.

Conditioning gives you a bigger gas tank.

Pacing determines how quickly you empty it.

You need both.

Make Your Conditioning Look More Like Your Fight

Being extremely fit at one activity does not guarantee that the fitness will transfer perfectly into another.

You can be a strong runner and still become exhausted during hard sparring.

That should not be surprising.

Combat sports require you to produce force while moving, reacting, defending, making decisions, absorbing pressure, and responding to an opponent who is actively trying to disrupt everything you want to do.

As fight night approaches, some conditioning should therefore reflect those demands.

Heavy-bag intervals, pad rounds, controlled sparring, footwork drills, wrestling sequences, and other discipline-specific work can teach you to maintain technique while tired.

The objective is not simply reaching exhaustion.

Watch what happens to your technique as fatigue develops.

Does your guard drop?

Do your feet become stationary?

Do combinations become single power shots?

Do you stop moving your head?

Those changes provide a much better picture of fight conditioning than whether you can complete another generic circuit.

Don’t Ignore What Happens Between Explosive Exchanges

A fighter does not need maximum power every second of every round.

The ability to recover while continuing to work is enormously valuable.

That is one reason developing an aerobic foundation remains relevant even in explosive combat sports. You repeatedly need to recover from hard efforts without completely stopping.

Training should reflect that reality.

Not every conditioning session needs to leave you lying on the floor. Easier aerobic work has a different purpose from hard intervals, just as technical sparring has a different purpose from a fight simulation.

Problems appear when everything gets pushed into the same exhausting middle ground.

Hard days should be genuinely purposeful. Easier sessions should allow useful work without unnecessarily increasing fatigue.

When those pieces are planned properly, the fighter can develop both the ability to explode and the ability to recover enough to do it again.

That repeated quality matters far more than winning an imaginary toughness competition in the gym.

Stop Training Through Every Sign of Fatigue

There is a difference between becoming tired during a hard training session and carrying persistent fatigue from one session into the next.

Fighters need to recognize it.

If your performance is consistently declining, normal workloads suddenly feel unusually difficult, motivation disappears, or soreness never seems to improve, adding another hard conditioning session may make the problem worse.

Sleep and nutrition matter here as well.

Training creates the stimulus, but adaptation requires resources and recovery. Fight camp becomes much harder when athletes repeatedly sacrifice sleep while simultaneously increasing training volume and managing body weight.

Coaches can help by looking at performance rather than simply counting completed sessions.

If a fighter is getting slower every week despite doing more conditioning, the answer should not automatically be even more conditioning.

Sometimes reducing accumulated fatigue allows the fitness already developed to become visible.

The goal is to arrive at fight night prepared, not to win fight camp by being the most exhausted person in the gym.

Test Whether Your Skills Survive When You’re Tired

Good conditioning is not just the ability to remain standing until the final bell.

You still need to fight well.

That means evaluating technique late in training rounds rather than measuring success purely by completion.

Can you still throw a clean combination?

Can you maintain your stance?

Are you reacting intelligently instead of making desperate decisions?

Can you move away from danger rather than standing directly in front of your partner because your legs are tired?

These are useful indicators of whether conditioning is transferring to performance.

Fight simulations can help expose weaknesses, but they should be programmed intelligently rather than performed constantly. You need enough realistic work to understand what happens under fatigue without turning every week into fight night.

Once a weakness appears, train it deliberately.

A fighter whose footwork disappears needs a different solution from one who maintains movement but loses punching power. Someone who starts too aggressively may need pacing work more than another conditioning circuit.

The objective is not to become impossible to tire.

Every fighter gets tired.

The objective is to remain technically useful when fatigue arrives.

If your final round still contains controlled breathing, disciplined defense, purposeful movement, and clean attacks, your conditioning is doing what it is supposed to do.

Fight night is a bad time to discover that your training only prepared you to look great while fresh.

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