Timur Arbuzov is the World No. 1 and the reigning World and European Champion. Since the start of 2025, he has only been defeated once, by a Japanese player named Yoshito Hojo in 2025 Tokyo Grand Slam. In Ulaanbaatar he will have to face another Japanese, Yuhei Oino, whom he has never fought before.
Oino is a rising star in Japanese judo. His last Grand Slam victory was in Paris this year. In the final, he defeated Zelim Tckaev (AZE), who is also competing in Ulaanbaatar, and who might be able to give Arbuzov some trouble. These two had fought once before, at the 2024 Paris Grand Slam, and there, it was Tckaev who won.
Former World Champion Matthias Casse (BEL), now 29 years old and no longer the force he used to be, is still nevertheless a potential threat. When Arbuzov and Casse first met, at the 2023 European Championships, it was Casse who won. But the last three times they’ve met, it was Arbuzov who was victorious.
A dark horse could be Lee Joonhwan (KOR), who is not ranked very highly (No. 15) but is a top contender. He has not competed in an IJF event since the 2025 World Championships in June last year. Apparently, his time away from international competition is a strategic decision.
Following his third consecutive World Championship bronze medal in 2025, Lee remarked that his fighting style, grips, and pacing had become overexposed, and that his judo had been heavily analyzed by opponents. He subsequently decided to take some time off from competition to restructure his judo and fighting style.
Arbuzov and Lee have never fought before. Lee could very well be Arbuzov’s biggest challenge.
