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The biggest fight of Super RIZIN 5 is now only days away, and the media day in Osaka has added another layer to an already unusual championship matchup.
On September 10 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, RIZIN featherweight champion Rajabali Shaidulloev will face former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee with both the RIZIN and PFL featherweight championships on the line. The bout will be contested over three five minute rounds under RIZIN rules at 66 kilograms. It is the first time two major MMA promotion titles will be simultaneously decided in one fight.
The two fighters spoke separately to the media on September 8, with both showing considerable respect for their opponent while making it clear that they expect to leave the arena with the championship belts.
Shaidulloev wants both belts
Shaidulloev enters the biggest fight of his career with an undefeated 19 and 0 record and the RIZIN featherweight title already around his waist.
The Kyrgyz champion described the double title fight as a major opportunity and said having two championships at stake has increased his motivation. He also stressed that he wants to represent both Kyrgyzstan and RIZIN when he steps into the ring.
For Shaidulloev, however, the most intriguing part of his media day appearance was his comments about the RIZIN rule set. RIZIN allows techniques such as soccer ball kicks and stomps that are prohibited under the Unified Rules used by the UFC and many other major promotions. Shaidulloev has rarely needed those techniques during his RIZIN run because he has finished almost all of his opponents quickly.
“I would definitely like to become a double champion.”
That could change against McKee. Shaidulloev explained that he has not used those attacks because he generally has not needed them. If an opening appears against McKee, however, he said he is prepared to use them if doing so gives him an advantage.
“I want to fight carrying Kyrgyzstan and the RIZIN flag.”
That comment adds an intriguing tactical element to the fight. McKee knows exactly what is permitted under RIZIN rules, but Shaidulloev has considerably more experience competing under them.
AJ McKee believes the fight will enter deep waters
McKee arrived in Osaka with a different message. The former Bellator champion praised Shaidulloev’s record and acknowledged that the RIZIN champion deserves his position. But McKee does not believe the undefeated fighter has faced someone with his particular combination of experience and skill.
McKee said his objective is not simply to win. He wants to control the fight and take away the reputation Shaidulloev has built during his undefeated run.
His most interesting prediction concerned the championship’s durability. McKee pointed out that Shaidulloev has not been forced into the later stages of a fight during his professional career. He believes that could become an advantage for him if he can extend the contest and take the champion into what he described as the “deep waters.” That creates one of the clearest questions heading into the main event.
Can Shaidulloev maintain his usual pace if McKee survives the early pressure?
McKee has a plan for the wrestling
McKee also offered a detailed assessment of Shaidulloev’s wrestling game. In a recent interview with Forbes, McKee explained that he expects the RIZIN champion to look for the overhand right before attempting a takedown, particularly by attacking a single leg and driving his opponent toward the edge of the ring.
The ring itself could therefore become an important factor. Unlike the UFC’s Octagon, the RIZIN ring does not provide the same cage wall for a fighter to use when finishing a takedown. McKee believes Shaidulloev will therefore have to secure his takedowns more cleanly in the middle of the ring.
“I want to take over the world.”
McKee’s strategy is straightforward. Keep the distance, make Shaidulloev enter, and force him to cover the space needed to initiate his wrestling.
“I’m going to drag him into deep waters.”
He also believes the RIZIN rules can work in his favor. In an earlier interview, McKee described the ability to use soccer ball kicks and knees against a grounded opponent as something familiar to him from his background in street fighting. He said he sees those techniques as additional weapons rather than disadvantages.
Two champions, two very different approaches
The fight therefore has a fascinating stylistic contrast. Shaidulloev has built his reputation through relentless pressure, wrestling and ground attacks. He has rarely allowed opponents enough time to establish their own rhythm.
McKee brings a more varied striking and grappling game, along with extensive championship experience. His stated objective is to avoid getting trapped in Shaidulloev’s preferred exchanges and instead force the champion to fight at a pace and distance he has not experienced before.
There is also a major psychological element. Shaidulloev is protecting an unbeaten record and his RIZIN championship. McKee is attempting to take that title while simultaneously becoming the inaugural PFL featherweight champion in this cross promotional championship format.
One fighter is trying to prove that his dominance extends to the biggest international test of his career. The other is trying to show that his experience at the highest level will allow him to solve an undefeated champion.
Other major Super RIZIN 5 stories
The media day also produced important comments from several of the event’s other major names. Mikuru Asakura said he expects Shinya Aoki to pursue takedowns while he wants to keep the fight standing. Asakura stated that his ideal outcome is a first round knockout and that he is not preparing to rely on a decision.
Aoki, meanwhile, spoke about his commitment to grappling and his determination to continue competing at the highest level. The veteran enters the fight with 49 MMA victories and 33 submission wins.
Elsewhere, Ren Hiramoto is preparing for his MMA return against heavy handed Kazakh fighter Karshyga Dautbek. Hiramoto has been away from MMA for more than two years and said he is targeting a definitive knockout victory. Dautbek enters with 18 wins, including 14 by KO or TKO.
Everything comes down to September 10
Super RIZIN 5 has already created a rare promotional storyline, but the Shaidulloev and McKee fight gives the event its defining sporting question. Can the undefeated RIZIN champion impose his wrestling and pressure before McKee can drag him into a longer fight?
Or can McKee neutralize Shaidulloev’s takedowns, exploit the ring and become the first fighter to defeat him?
The answer will determine not only the RIZIN featherweight champion, but also the first fighter to hold both the RIZIN and PFL featherweight championships simultaneously.
Super RIZIN 5 full fight card
The event takes place at Kyocera Dome Osaka on September 10, with RIZIN listing eight active bouts. The previously scheduled Daichi Tomizawa vs. Donmai Kawabata fight has been cancelled after Kawabata suffered an orbital floor fracture and was ruled out for two to three months.
• Rajabali Shaidulloev vs. AJ McKee: RIZIN and PFL Featherweight Championship, 66 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Mikuru Asakura vs. Shinya Aoki: 71 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Karshyga Dautbek vs. Ren Hiramoto: 66 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Roberto Satoshi Souza vs. Shunta Nomura: 71 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Yutaka Saito vs. YA MAN: 66 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Vugar Karamov vs. Ryo Takagi: 66 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• RENA vs. Natasha Kuziutina: 49 kg, RIZIN MMA Rules
• Beynoah vs. Hide Meison Usami: 71 kg, RIZIN Open Finger Glove Kickboxing Rules
Cancelled: Daichi Tomizawa vs. Donmai Kawabata. Kawabata withdrew because of an orbital floor fracture.
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