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RIZIN Fighting Federation is looking beyond Japan. They has made international expansion a major priority this year, with overseas events, international matchmaking and a historic partnership with the PFL shaping its next phase.
The Japanese promotion has made international expansion one of its biggest priorities for 2026, with CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara outlining plans to strengthen its’s presence outside its home market while giving its fighters more opportunities against international opposition.
The strategy is no longer limited to bringing foreign fighters into Japan. They wants to build relationships with overseas promotions, send its own fighters abroad and challenge for championships belonging to other organizations. The most significant example of that approach will arrive in September when RIZIN featherweight champion Razhabali Shaidulloev meets former Bellator champion AJ McKee.
Sakakibara identifies overseas expansion as a 2026 priority
Sakakibara first outlined the broader strategy in January, describing overseas expansion as one of his major themes for the year.
Sakakibara said the promotion wanted to hold an event in South Korea and was also hoping to stage an event in North America before the end of 2026. He made it clear, however, that the North American event was an ambition rather than a confirmed show.
More importantly, Sakakibara explained that its international plans extend beyond simply taking a Japanese event to another country.
The promotion wants its established fighters to compete internationally and pursue championship opportunities with overseas organizations. That approach could giveits athletes a route toward proving themselves outside Japan while also increasing the promotion’s visibility in international MMA.
The PFL partnership provides the clearest example
RIZIN’s relationship with the Professional Fighters League has quickly become the strongest example of this strategy.
In July, RIZIN and PFL announced that Shaidulloev will face McKee in the main event of SUPER RIZIN.5 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on September 10. The fight will feature both the RIZIN featherweight championship and the PFL featherweight championship. The matchup is unusual because both organizations are putting their featherweight championships into the same contest.
Shaidulloev enters the fight as RIZIN’s undefeated featherweight champion. He has built a 19 and 0 professional record and has already defended the title three times. His victories over Kleber Koike, Viktor Kolesnik, Mikuru Asakura and Yuta Kubo have all come by stoppage, with the majority arriving in the opening round.
McKee brings a different kind of international pedigree. The American is a former Bellator featherweight champion and has established himself as one of the leading fighters associated with the organization during its Bellator era. He has also returned to the featherweight division successfully under the PFL banner.
The winner in Osaka will therefore leave with both championships, creating an unusual connection between two major MMA promotions.
RIZIN has already been increasing international matchmaking
RIZIN has increasingly used international matchmaking as part of its regular events. RIZIN 52 in March featured several international fighters, including Patchy Mix from the United States, Karshyga Dautbek from Kazakhstan, Victor Kolesnik from Russia, Luiz Gustavo from Brazil and fighters from South Korea and Canada.
Mix was particularly notable because the former Bellator bantamweight champion was brought in to face Japanese prospect Kyoma Akimoto in the RIZIN 52 main event. Mix entered the contest with a 20 and 3 record and extensive experience at the highest level outside Japan.
They has also discussed adding more international talent to its flyweight and bantamweight divisions, showing that the strategy involves building the roster as well as creating individual international super fights.
The next step is taking RIZIN fighters abroad
Perhaps the most important part of Sakakibara’s vision is what happens outside the RIZIN ring.
The promotion wants established RIZIN fighters to compete for championships in other organizations. Sakakibara has specifically discussed cooperation with the PFL and the possibility of fighters moving between the two promotions.
Instead of measuring themselves exclusively against fighters on Japanese cards, its champions and contenders could eventually travel to the United States, the Middle East or other major MMA markets to challenge internationally recognized opponents.
North America remains the biggest challenge
RIZIN’s ambition to stage an event in North America is potentially the biggest part of its international strategy, but it is also the most difficult.
Sakakibara has acknowledged that simply holding one event in North America would not necessarily establish RIZIN as a meaningful player in the market. The promotion would need the right fighters, local partnerships and a sustainable strategy to build a long term presence.
Rather than attempting to build an international audience entirely on its own, RIZIN can work with an established American promotion and expose its fighters to a wider MMA audience.
Shaidulloev vs McKee could define the next phase
The September fight in Osaka could become an important test of its international ambitions.
Shaidulloev represents the current strength of RIZIN’s Japanese based system, even though he was born in Kyrgyzstan, while McKee represents an established international star arriving through the PFL. Both championships will be at stake under RIZIN rules.
A successful event could give both organisations a blueprint for further cooperation.
For RIZIN, the objective is ultimately bigger than one fight. The promotion wants its champions to become internationally recognized names, its fighters to compete for titles around the world and its brand to establish a stronger position beyond Japan.
After years of building its identity as one of Japan’s leading MMA promotions, RIZIN is now attempting to turn that domestic strength into a genuine international presence.
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