Mongolia produced Hakuho, the record 45-time top-division sumo champion.
Hakuho was born Mönkhbatyn Davaajargal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 1985. He moved to Japan as a teenager and entered professional sumo in 2001. His rise continued a strong Mongolian presence in modern sumo, following earlier champions such as Asashoryu.
Hakuho became a yokozuna in 2007 and ultimately won 45 top-division championships, more than any other wrestler. His career combined powerful belt work with unusually quick reactions and excellent positional awareness.
Mongolian wrestlers have played a major role in internationalizing professional sumo. Asashoryu, Harumafuji, Kakuryu, and Hakuho all became yokozuna. Although wrestlers may later acquire Japanese citizenship and use Japanese elder names after retirement, Hakuho’s birthplace and national origin were Mongolian.