The 2008 US Sumo Open featured some amazing bouts, long-term rivalries, and stunning upsets! Some of the highlights include:

World Sumo Champion Byambajav Ulambayar defeated giant Petar Stoyanov for the third consecutive time in the US Sumo Open (in the men's heavyweight division), but Petar then upset Byamba in the last match of the day -- the Openweight Finals -- to win his own gold medal! Munkhjargal Ulziibayar ("Muugii") won the men's lightweight competition for the second year in a row! Erdenebileg Alagdaa ("Bilegee"), the lightest middleweight (at only 199 pounds), won the middleweight gold medal. Bilegee had previously won a gold medal in the lightweight division at a past US Sumo Open. US Sumo Champion Dan Kalbfleisch won a bronze medal in the men's heavyweight, behind Byamba and Petar. Many-time US Champion Kelly Gneiting won a bronze medal in the men's openweight, behind Petar and Byamba. The lightest heavyweight, Tamir Dolgormaa (278 pounds) was seeded in a bracket that included the former World Champion (440 lbs), the former US Champion (430 lbs), and a former US medalist (340 lbs). Incredibly, the tiny-looking Tamir defeated ALL THREE to win his bracket and advance to the quarter-finals, where he lost to US Champion Dan Kalbfleisch.

A couple thousand sumo fans enjoyed the atmosphere at the Sports Arena, with Japanese beer, sake, and Japanese food, plus taiko drumming.