Abe rose to prominence after becoming Youth Olympic champion in August 2014; an achievement followed by a silver medal in October at the World Juniors Championships in Fort Lauderdale.

He subsequently won his first IJF senior competition, the Tokyo Grand Slam, in December 2014, at just 17 years old, unexpectedly beating the reigning world champion of his weight category and favorite, Masashi Ebinuma, in the semi-final.

Abe won his first national tournament while attending Kobe Ikuta junior high school, winning in the under 55 kg category.

[13] His younger sister, Uta Abe, is also a highly accomplished judoka who competes in the Women's 52 kg division.

Abe defeated the son of Japanese legend Toshihiko Koga, Hayato, at the 2015 Inter-High School Championships.

[19] Abe transitioned from cadet to junior level, competing in the ‍–‍66 kg event at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing.

En route to the final, he defeated all his opponents by ippon in two and a half minutes or less, with the exception of future World Champion An Ba-ul in Round 2.

However, Mgdsyan managed to gain two waza-aris in just 45 seconds, effectively securing ippon and defeating Abe, leaving the latter to settle for silver.

[28] Abe transitioned to senior level internationally at the 2014 Tokyo Grand Slam, one of the most prestigious and high-level tournaments of the IJF circuit.

[29] Abe dominated his opening fight against Peru's Alonso Wong, scoring a waza-ari and pinning with a kesa-gatame for ippon.

[31] Abe was nevertheless through to a semi-final match up against triple and reigning World Champion, fellow Japanese Masashi Ebinuma.

Abe then caused an upset by scoring waza-ari in the last minute with ushiro goshi, defeating Ebinuma and reaching the final.

Abe scored a yuko with an ouchi gari, and Pollack landed on his side outside the mat, hitting his head on the barrier.

In the second round, Abe defeated the Netherlands' Junior Degen by ippon using his favourite ashi waza, ouchi gari.

Abe then faced 2014 Asian Games champion Davaadorjiin Tömörkhüleg in the third round, and was defeated by waza-ari, ending his tournament.

Abe won by two waza-aris, the first of which using kosoto gari and the second using his main skill sode tsurikomi goshi.

[40] His bid to defend his title failed in the third round when eventual finalist Joshiro Maruyama scored a yuko with tomoe nage.

Abe scored another yuko with his signature skill drop seoi nage, and again attempted to pin, but his leg was latched on by Dovdony.

[46] Abe defeated China's Ma Duanbin with another powerful double sleeve grip osoto gari to end the fight in just 36 seconds by ippon, becoming tournament champion.

With head coach Inoue recalling Ebinuma for his second Olympics as Japan's half-lightweight representative, Abe officially did not qualify.

He threw Tateyama for waza-ari with deashi barai and earned several shidos, but continued on to the final with the former unable to score any throws.

Abe entered the 2016 Tokyo Grand Slam following senior and rival Ebinuma's absence as the top ranked half-lightweight from Japan.

Abe faced Japanese-based Korean Kim Lim-hwan in his first fight and scored a waza-ari with an ippon seoi nage.

[69] Abe Hifumi returned to the IJF World Tour on 8 July 2022 winning the Budapest Grand Slam.

He won five fights, including semi-final against the world number one Denis Vieru and the final against his country-man Joshiro Maruyama with an ashi-waza footsweep.

[70] Abe is known for a more modern style of Japanese judo, like fellow lightweight and World Champion Naohisa Takato.

A seoi nage and sode-tsurikomi-goshi specialist, he is aggressive, physical and dynamic with his fighting,[71] often preferring a fast pace of judo,[72] with an average winning time of two and half minutes.

[76] As of 11 February 2017[update] (does not include Youth Olympic Games and national tournaments) Media related to Hifumi Abe at Wikimedia Commons