 He earned his second kinboshi in defeating Kakuryū in January 2017, and his third in beating Hakuhō again in the following tournament in March.In March 2018 he finished with an 11–4 record, but a defeat on the final day meant he missed out on a share of the Fighting Spirit Prize.Ikioi has not missed a bout since his professional debut, and he fought his 500th consecutive "makuuchi" match in May 2018.