Fans were almost convinced that world number one Rakhimov would be able to deliver a fourth gold medal to the host nation at the Kasri Tennis Arena.

The men's over-100-kilograms final was a physical mismatch as Rakhimov towers over the Russian, competing as a neutral.

Bashaev, though, used his small stature to his advantage by keeping the bout confined to the ground for the majority of its four-minute duration.

The first attack came from Bashaev with his trademark drop seoi-nage.

The 27-year-old was in control from the outset and eventually took a waza-ari lead with a sode tsurikomi goshi hip throw.

The 2020 European champion Bashaev did not try to finish the bout early with another waza-ari or ippon, instead opting for a cautious approach to see out the time limit.

Bashaev is a member of the army sports club CSKA Moscow having previously served as a senior staff sergeant in the Red Army, but since January 1 has worked as a civilian in a state training centre, according to the International Judo Federation (IJF).

The IJF had obtained clarification of his status and obtained an employment certificate before allowing his participation in Dushanbe. 

Another Tajik lost on the final day in the capital in the form of Shakarmamod Mirmamadov as he tasted defeat to the United Arab Emirates' Magomedomar Magomedomarov in the bronze-medal match.

He was joined by Kazakhstan's Yerassyl Kazhybayev who got the better of Pole Kacper Szczurowski.

There was an all-Russian contest in the men's under-100kg final as neutral athletes Matvey Kanikovskiy and Niiaz Bilalov went head-to-head.

Kanikovskiy came out on top as he initially scored an uchimata waza-ari before a seumi-gaeshi corner reversal sealed the ippon win.

They were joined on the podium by Mongolian Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag and Croatia's Zlatko Kumrić.

Tajikistan's third gold medal of the Grand Prix came courtesy of Komronshokh Ustopiriyon after he eventually beat neutral Eldar Allakhverdiev in the third minute of golden score in the men's under-90kg.

Prior to that, bronzes went the way of Czech Republic's David Klammert and Uzbekistan's Jakhongir Mamatrakhimov.

In the women's under-78kg decider, a cagey all-German affair went into two-and-a-half minutes of golden score before victory was handed to Anna Monta Olek.

Her opponent and 2021 world champion Anna-Maria Wagner was disqualified after exceeding the shido penalty limit, while neutral Aleksandra Babintseva and Italy's Giorgia Stangherlin took joint-third place.

Samira Bouizgarne failed to seal another German title as she lost to Portugal's Rochele Nunes in the women's over-78kg final.

Neutral Daria Vladimirova and Mongolian Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan both pulled off double waza-ari wins for bronze.