Yusupov battled his way to the gold medal contest via a demanding route through the draw. He opened with victory over Yuta Nakamura (JPN) before overcoming Mikita Sviryd (CRO). In the semi-final, he defeated Yerassyl Kazhybayev (KAZ), securing his place in the final and reigniting the hopes of the home crowd for a golden conclusion to the weekend.
In the lower half of the draw, Kanan Nasibov (AZE) emerged as the standout performer. He advanced through victories over Islombek Ravshankulov (UZB) and Yelaman Yergaliyev (KAZ), before defeating Bislan Katamardov (RUS) in the semi-final. His consistency and physical presence earned him a place opposite Yusupov in what would be the final contest of the tournament.
The arena believed. Yusupov believed. He gave everything, attacked relentlessly and placed his heart on the tatami, determined to deliver gold to his supporters but it would was not enough. After an extremely tight contest, the match moved into golden score. There, Nasibov found the decisive moment, securing a hold-down to claim gold and silence the crowd. It was a fierce and memorable battle between two heavyweights who left nothing in reserve.
In the first bronze medal contest, Sviryd faced Katamardov, both seeking redemption. The Croatian secured bronze with two spectacular scores, first a waza-ari followed by a yuko, earning his first grand slam medal.
The second bronze medal match was scheduled between Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (AZE) and Kazhybayev. With the Kazakh athlete unable to compete, Gamzatkhanov was awarded the bronze medal.
Final (+100 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (+100 kg)
