Kisenosato went into the July 2016 tournament with the possibility of being promoted to yokozuna if he could win the tournament, however he was unable to clinch a victory and was runner-up for the eleventh time, and the third time in a row.
Kisenosato mengikuti turnamen Juli 2016 dengankemungkinan dipromosikan oleh Yokozuna jika dia dapat memenangi turnamen, namun dia tidak memungkinkan meraih kemenangan karena berada pada posisi runner-up selama sebelas kali, dan tiga kali berturut-turut.