Makhmadbekov takes Paris under-73kg gold

Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov won the men’s under-73kg title at the Paris Grand Slam for the United Arab Emirates. He defeated Italy’s Manuel Lombardo in the final through two powerful o-soto-makikomi attacks, each producing waza-ari and together completing the winning result.

The category had seen several leading contenders eliminated in the preliminary session, including Joan-Benjamin Gaba and Soichi Tanaka. Makhmadbekov and Lombardo advanced despite those disrupted expectations, with the Emirati athlete imposing pressure from the opening grip of the gold-medal contest.

Muhiddin Asadulloev won bronze against Dayyan Boulemtafes to earn Tajikistan’s first medal at the event. Britain’s Benjamin Levy took his first World Judo Tour medal by overcoming Tatsuki Ishihara, responding to an early yuko with a waza-ari that he defended until the finish.