Aghayev Rises to Judo World No.1 After Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Gold; Bahrain's 277th-Ranked Boqiev Stuns

Azerbaijan's Balabay Aghayev is the new world number one at -60kg after the latest International Judo Federation ranking update, rewarding his gold medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. The three-day event at the Mubadala Arena from 29 to 31 October drew 374 judoka from 59 countries and produced some of the most surprising winners of the World Judo Tour season.

Aghayev takes top spot

Aghayev had previously won bronze in Abu Dhabi. This time he went all the way, finishing the final against 18-year-old Loiq Kudbudinov of Tajikistan with a spectacular ippon. Afterwards he called the city "a wonderful place".

The result lifted him from third to first in the world ranking, overtaking his compatriot Yusifov, the reigning world champion. JudoInside reported that it was the only change at the top across all 14 weight categories in the update, which also took in the Pan American Open in Florida and the Asian Open in Amman. Grand Slam events carry more ranking points, so Abu Dhabi had the biggest effect.

Bahrain and Morocco make history

The biggest upset came at -66kg. Bahrain's Sukhrob Boqiev, ranked 277th in the world, beat Iago Abuladze in his first World Tour final to win gold.

Morocco also had a landmark day when Hassan Doukkali won the -73kg title, a historic gold that moved him from 18th to 10th in the world. Azerbaijan's Konul Aliyeva won the women's -48kg, which was reported as the country's first women's Grand Slam gold, and Croatia's Tihea Topolovec claimed her first Grand Slam title at -52kg by beating Olympic medallist Amandine Buchard of France.

A home win and a heavyweight upset

The host nation celebrated when Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko won the women's -78kg for the United Arab Emirates, beating Portugal's Patricia Sampaio in the final. In the women's +78kg, Croatia's Helena Vukovic beat world number one Raz Hershko of Israel in golden score, although Hershko kept her top ranking.

Other champions included France's Martha Fawaz at -57kg, Poland's Angelika Szymanska at -63kg, Portugal's Tais Pina at -70kg, Moldova's Petru Pelivan at -81kg and Bulgaria's Ivaylo Ivanov at -90kg. Idar Bifov retained his -100kg title, and Georgia's Irakli Demetrashvili won the men's +100kg by beating Azerbaijan's Ushangi Kokauri.

Medal table

Azerbaijan topped the medal table with two golds, one silver and two bronzes. Croatia also won two golds, through Topolovec and Vukovic, plus a bronze. Ten other nations took one gold each, a spread that showed how open the field was.

For fans in Southeast Asia, the result is a reminder of how much the World Tour rankings can move after a single Grand Slam. Places at major championships and Olympic qualification depend on these ranking points, so a big result can change an athlete's season.

Key takeaways

• Balabay Aghayev (Azerbaijan) is the new -60kg world number one after winning in Abu Dhabi.
• He was the only new world number one across the 14 categories in the latest IJF update.
• Bahrain's Sukhrob Boqiev won -66kg gold despite a world ranking of 277.
• Morocco's Hassan Doukkali won a historic -73kg gold and climbed to 10th in the world.
• Azerbaijan topped the medal table with two golds, one silver and two bronzes.

FAQ

When and where was the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam held? It took place from 29 to 31 October 2026 at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, with 374 judoka from 59 countries.

Who is the new -60kg world number one? Balabay Aghayev of Azerbaijan, who moved up from third after winning gold in Abu Dhabi.

What was the biggest upset of the event? Bahrain's Sukhrob Boqiev winning the -66kg title while ranked 277th in the world.

Sources: IJF, JudoInside, Euronews