Harumafuji took a giant leap toward capturing his second career title, beating rival ozeki Baruto to stay undefeated with two days remaining at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday.
The only obstacle now standing in Harumafuji's way is yokozuna Hakuho, who escaped sudden death against Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu, improving to a 12-1 mark to keep his hopes alive of winning an unprecedented eighth consecutive title.
The Mongolian pair will meet in a showdown on Saturday, with Harumafuji having the chance to claim the title outright with a win over the lone yokozuna.