🎤 In His Own Words — Sandanme Championship Interview (March 2026)
Source: Futagoyama Stable YouTube — Championship celebration stream (March 25, 2026). Translated excerpts.
"The surgery was worth it." — In his bout against Chiyomaru, Nabatame was pushed off balance but managed to stay on his feet. "Before the surgery, I wouldn't have recovered from that position. That's when I felt — the knee operation was worth it."
"If I'm trying to fight like my old self, my old self is stronger." — When asked whether current Nabatame or peak Juryo Nabatame is stronger: "If I'm thinking 'I need to fight the way I used to,' then the old me wins. Only when I find something new and power up — that's when I'll be stronger than before. I can't stay the same as I was."
Bond with Mita ("Sesame Oil Boy") — His childhood friend Mita (currently rehabbing from injury) sent LINE messages every day during the tournament, including photos with critiques like "stomp your shiko harder!" When Nabatame was hospitalized, Mita won the Juryo championship. Now with Mita rehabbing, Nabatame won the Sandanme title. "I want this to inspire him. I want it to start a good wave."
Calling Mom — He called his mother immediately after winning. She answered in Thai, excitedly babbling. "She just kept saying 'good, good' over and over." He won't visit his hometown until he makes it back to Juryo: "I want to go home properly, as a sekitori again."
🫧 Off the dohyo: During the Osaka tournament, the stable stayed in a mountain retreat in Izumisano. In his free time, Nabatame was found blowing soap bubbles alone outside. "I was completely purified." His victory reward? His first-ever dental cleaning. His prize money goes to protein, supplements, and knee tape.
📺 Why Nabatame is popular on YouTube
Nabatame Tatsuya has built a strong fanbase outside Japan through Futagoyama Stable's YouTube channel and sumo highlight clips. His combination of an imposing physique (176 kg at 24 years old), visible personality in stable life content, and a compelling comeback journey has earned him fans worldwide — especially among English-speaking viewers discovering sumo through YouTube.
He is one of the most-searched Futagoyama wrestlers internationally, alongside top-division star Rohga. If you found this page after watching a Futagoyama video on YouTube — welcome to sumo!
Nabatame bout footage
Juryo promotion celebration
📺 Watch Nabatame's Bouts Live
Now that Nabatame is back in Juryo, his bouts are held in the afternoon Juryo session of each basho day. They are streamed in full on ABEMA Premium (Japanese service), which covers every division from Jonokuchi through Makuuchi. NHK broadcasts Makuuchi and only part of the Juryo session. For fans wanting to follow every bout of Nabatame's comeback in real time, ABEMA is the most reliable option.
Try ABEMA Premium Free for 2 Weeks →Build & Style
At 177 cm and 176 kg, Nabatame carries exceptional weight for his height, giving him one of the more powerful physiques among younger wrestlers at Futagoyama Stable. That build translates into a hard-charging, forward-moving style — he tends to overwhelm opponents with physical pressure rather than technical finesse.
He is still developing his full technical repertoire after returning from knee surgery. Through the lower divisions his physical advantages were decisive; the real test now comes back in Juryo, where opponents are far better equipped to handle raw power.
From Juryo to surgery — and back again
Nabatame's story is one of the more dramatic in the current Futagoyama stable. After debuting in early 2024 and racing through the lower divisions, he reached the salaried Juryo division within his first year as a professional — a remarkable achievement for a wrestler who joined as a rank-and-file (叩き上げ) entrant with no special entry privileges.
His peak came in early 2025 when he was ranked East Juryo 5, on pace to push toward the top Makuuchi division. A knee injury sustained during the March 2025 tournament ended that run. He underwent ligament transplant surgery in July 2025 and missed multiple tournaments entirely.
When he returned to competition in autumn 2025, he had to restart from the lower divisions. By the March 2026 Haru Basho he had climbed back to West Sandanme 3, going a perfect 8–0 to take the division and earn promotion. At the May 2026 Natsu Basho he debuted back in Makushita at West Makushita 10 and posted a 5–2 record — showing the competitive edge and physical dominance that made him a Juryo wrestler in the first place — which lifted him to West Makushita 3 for the July 2026 Nagoya Basho. There he went 6–1, and that record at the top of Makushita earned him promotion back to the salaried ranks: he was East Juryo 10 (東十両十枚目) for the September 2026 Aki Basho — a sekitori again, a little over a year after his ligament transplant surgery — and marked the return with a 9–6 winning record, which lifted him to West Juryo 6 (西十両六枚目) for the November 2026 Kyushu Basho.
📌 See Nabatame (生田目) Compete Live
Sumo tournaments are held six times a year (Tokyo in January, May, September; Osaka in March; Nagoya in July; Fukuoka in November). Catching a Futagoyama Stable wrestler in person is the best way to support them.
Book sumo tickets in English
Tournament-day packages, ringside passes, and full sumo experience bundles — all bookable in English with instant confirmation. The simplest route if Japanese-language official sites are tricky to navigate.
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Source: Self-introduction, New Year resolution, debut interview and Q&A videos on Futagoyama Stable's official YouTube channel 'Sumo food' (2024–2025), transcribed from on-screen captions.
Lists DJing as a hobby — rare among professional sumo wrestlers. His musical taste spans techno (Will Sparks, Yellow Claw) to Japanese rapper ZORN. Devotes Mother's Day every year to his mother and loves her tamago-yaki above all else. His aunt lives in Tokyo, so he visits often.