Ura is a Japanese sumo wrestler in the maegashira ranks, fighting out of the Kise stable, and is best known for the acrobatic reversing techniques that make him one of the sport’s biggest crowd favorites. He built that reputation before turning professional, drawing attention as an amateur who could win with spectacular over-shoulder throws. This guide explains his rise, his unusual style, his comeback from serious injury, and where he stands today.
Key takeaways
- Ura belongs to the Kise stable, a heya led by the former Higonoumi.
- He is one of sumo’s most popular wrestlers, a crowd favorite since his early days in the salaried ranks.
- His trademark is acrobatic, reversing sumo, including rare winning techniques like tasukizori and tsutaezori.
- He fights from an extremely low tachiai, the charge that starts each bout.
- Two serious knee injuries dropped him deep down the rankings, and his climb back to the top division took 20 tournaments.
Career and rise
Ura made his name on athleticism that stood out long before he turned professional. As an amateur he won with spectacular reversing techniques, known as sori-waza, and could even perform backflips, a gymnast’s control rarely seen in a sumo ring. That reputation followed him into the professional ranks.
His climb was fast. Ura reached the juryo division from maezumo, the unranked entry stage, in about a year. Counting from jonokuchi he needed only six tournaments to make juryo, posting a 38-4 record over that span and arriving one tournament faster than his contemporary Hokutofuji. Reaching juryo matters: wrestlers in that division and above are called sekitori and draw a salary, while those below do not.
Ura made his top-division debut in March 2017. The arrival was immediate. In only his second tournament in the maegashira ranks he won 11 bouts, and in the following tournament, in July 2017, he took a kinboshi by beating the yokozuna Harumafuji. A kinboshi is the gold star a rank-and-file maegashira earns for defeating a yokozuna, and it marked Ura as a wrestler who could trouble the very best.
Style and techniques
What sets Ura apart is how he wins. Among the kimarite he has used to thrill crowds are the hip throw, known as koshinage, the neck twist, or kubihineri, and the over-shoulder reverse throw, tasukizori. Reverse and throwing techniques such as tasukizori and tsutaezori are among the rarest winning moves in professional sumo, which is part of why his bouts draw such attention.
He fights from an extremely low tachiai. The veteran sumo journalist Taguchi Michihiro, who has covered him ringside, described that stance as almost too low when Ura first faced Hakuho. The low charge feeds the reversing style, letting Ura slip under an opponent and turn a forward push into a throw.
As Ura added body weight his sumo shifted toward a more orthodox, forward-moving style. The range still shows in the results. Across roughly 2022 to 2024 he recorded wins by a wide variety of techniques, including ashitori, tottari, kimedashi, kakenage, kata-sukashi and dashinage throws against named opponents, a spread of kimarite few wrestlers match.
Injuries and comeback
Ura’s career turned on his right knee. On day 10 of the July 2017 tournament, in a bout against ozeki Takayasu, he tore a ligament in that knee; he finished the tournament 7-8. The damage was severe, diagnosed as anterior cruciate ligament injury in the right knee plus meniscus damage in the left. He then sat out five straight tournaments and fell as low as sandanme 91.
The road back was not straight. Ura restarted from sandanme in September 2018 and climbed toward makushita, only to tear a knee ligament again in a January 2019 bout against Hoshoryu, forcing another long layoff. After that second injury he had to begin a third time, from jonidan 106, in November 2019. His full climb back to the top division took 20 tournaments, 15 of them unsalaried in makushita and below, with 8 of those tournaments sat out entirely through injury.
The return was sealed in style. In May 2021, ranked as the number two wrestler in juryo, Ura went 12-3 and won the juryo championship, the result that carried him back to the top division. A yusho at that level decides promotion, and this one sealed his comeback.
Notable results
Ura keeps producing the kind of bouts that travel beyond the hardcore audience. On the final day of the January 2024 tournament he beat Ryuden by tsutaezori, the rare over-arm reverse throw that few wrestlers ever land. He also showed he can grind. At the November 2024 Fukuoka tournament he beat Kirishima by tsukiotoshi in what was called the best upper-division bout of the day, a sticky, drawn-out win rather than a flashy one.
Current status
Ura fights in the top division as a maegashira, the rank-and-file tier where he made his name. His low charge and reversing throws keep him among the most watched names on the banzuke, and a strong run from the upper maegashira can put the titled ranks within reach. Readers new to the wrestlers can start with our guide to what a sumo wrestler is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ura?
Ura is a Japanese sumo wrestler in the maegashira ranks, fighting out of the Kise stable. He is one of the sport’s most popular wrestlers, known for acrobatic reversing techniques.
What is Ura known for?
He is known for acrobatic, reversing sumo. He has won with rare techniques such as the over-shoulder reverse throw tasukizori and the over-arm reverse throw tsutaezori, both among the rarest winning moves in the sport.
Did Ura ever beat a yokozuna?
Yes. In July 2017 he earned a kinboshi, the gold star awarded to a rank-and-file maegashira for beating a yokozuna, by defeating the yokozuna Harumafuji.
What injuries did Ura suffer?
In July 2017 he tore a ligament in his right knee against Takayasu, an injury diagnosed as anterior cruciate ligament damage in the right knee plus meniscus damage in the left. He tore a knee ligament again in January 2019 against Hoshoryu, which forced a second long layoff.
How far did Ura fall in the rankings?
After his first injury he fell as low as sandanme 91, then had to restart a third time from jonidan 106 in November 2019. His full climb back to the top division took 20 tournaments, 15 of them in the unsalaried ranks of makushita and below.
What stable does Ura belong to?
He belongs to the Kise stable, a heya led by the former Higonoumi.
