Turan Etibar oglu Bayramov (born April 4, 2002, Ganja) is one of the most technically gifted and promising judokas in Azerbaijan. At the turn of 2025 and 2026, his sports career took a sharp but strategically calculated turn. Leaving behind the fierce internal competition and grueling weight cuts of the -60 kg division, Bayramov officially transitioned to the under 66 kg category, where he immediately established himself as a new leader among the global elite.
The sports department of Report.az has prepared an analytical profile of an athlete whose bold yet physiologically sound decision has already begun to alter the balance of power on international tatamis.
Until the end of 2025, Turan was one of the pillars of the Azerbaijani national team in the extra-lightweight division (under 60 kg), regularly bringing medals to the country. However, his recent debut in the new weight category demonstrated that his true potential is only just beginning to unfold.
Major Milestones on the International Arena:
The 2026 Silver Double (Tashkent and Tbilisi): Turan's start in the -66 kg weight class at the Grand Slam series tournaments was phenomenal. In February 2026, he won silver at the Tashkent Grand Slam. By March, he solidified this success by taking another silver at the Tbilisi Grand Slam. These results allowed him to make a colossal leap in the International Judo Federation (IJF) world rankings, instantly climbing more than 110 positions.
Tbilisi Gold (2023) and Lightweight Legacy: Bayramov secured his most resounding championship in the -60 kg category at the Tbilisi Grand Slam in 2023. His track record also includes silver at the Dushanbe Grand Prix (2023), bronze at the Zagreb Grand Prix (2024), and bronze at the Tbilisi Grand Slam in 2022.
Youth Foundation: Turan demonstrated his enormous potential back in 2021 when he became the Junior World Vice-Champion in Olbia (Italy), and a year prior, he became the European Cadet Champion.
Turan Bayramov's transition to the under 66 kg weight class is a classic example of how astute sports management and listening to one's own body can save the career of an elite athlete.
For several years, Bayramov shared the leadership in the -60 kg division with Balabay Aghayev and Ahmed Yusifov. However, possessing dense muscle mass and an extremely low body fat percentage, Turan faced a situation where the monthly extreme weight cutting began to deteriorate his athletic form. The weight-cutting process led to micro-injuries and a lack of stamina in the final minutes of decisive matches.
The decision by the coaching staff and the athlete himself to move up to the -66 kg category—accompanied by an intensive adaptation and physical conditioning program in late 2025—has completely paid off. In the new weight class, Bayramov has:
Maintained Speed: He remains just as fast and explosive as the extra-lightweights.
Gained Endurance: Freed from debilitating pre-tournament dehydration, Turan can now maintain a supremely high pace of combat throughout the entire match, including the "Golden Score" (extra time).
Bayramov's fighting style is characterized by an excellent sense of balance and the ability to execute high-amplitude throws even against much larger opponents. Today, the 24-year-old judoka faces a clear objective: to continue accumulating ranking points, secure his place among the elite of the 66 kg division, and fight for tickets to the main events of the Olympic cycle.
Baku 12° C
