Super RIZIN 5 was highlighted by the big cross-promotional featherweight title tilt with the PFL. And on this night, RIZIN came out on top.
RIZIN champion Razhabali Shaydullaev continued his dominant, aggressive ways by pushing the pace on his PFL counterpart, A.J. McKee, to deliver a thrilling main event Thursday in the Kyocera Dome in front of nearly 50,000 people in Osaka, Japan. In the end, Shaydullaev walked away with both the RIZIN featherweight belt he already possessed and a shiny new PFL title, after earning a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
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Shaydullaev (20-0) found himself in trouble almost as soon as the fight began. McKee was quick to strike with a nice side kick before he dropped the champion with a somewhat awkward one-two combination. Shaydullaev quickly countered with a high-amplitude slam unlike any McKee has ever been subjected to in MMA.
From there, Shaydullaev controlled with heavy top pressure and did his best to land punches and elbows throughout the space permitted until the round’s end.
McKee (25-3) jabbed to start Round 2, but found himself pressed and evading head kicks until another Shaydullaev double-leg takedown attempt. They scrambled and returned to their feet, with McKee taking some massive punches before Shaydullaev blasted in for another takedown attempt. As the round progressed, the PFL challenger appeared to be begin fading thanks to the champion’s insane pace.
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Shaydullaev glided atop McKee to continue his ground offense, which resulted in a cut around the challenger’s eye. Knees found their way to McKee’s head, but allowed him to scramble to his feet amid the transitions. McKee sought a brief guillotine attempt in the remainder of the round when taken down, but the champion was wise to it.
Round 3 felt like a desperation period for McKee, as he opened with fast punches and a step-knee. Shaydullaev kept the pressure on McKee and teased another potential slam once he got ahold of him, but was methodical with his drag-down work. McKee found success sneaking to Shaydullaev’s back, but couldn’t make anything work.
Once back on their feet after the scramble, he started to land awkwardly on Shaydullaev, seemingly showing some fatigue. McKee was done, though, as he blatantly gave the clock a hard stare at the 90-second mark, which prompted another Shaydullaev takedown and heavy top control to finish out the fight.
The win was Shaydullaev’s first to go the distance and sets him up for a big New Year’s Eve title defense. After the fight, top RIZIN featherweight contender Kyoma Akimoto entered the RIZIN ring to immediately tease the potential fight.
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Shaydullaev also made it clear that he apparently has one fight left on his RIZIN contract, making his future all the more intriguing after winning a second promotion’s title.
The defeat snaps a three-fight win streak for McKee. The former Bellator champion has yet to reclaim a title since he reigned over Bellator’s now-defunct 145-pound weight class, but he remains a prominent player in the PFL even with Thursday’s setback.
The co-main event featured a farewell for the legendary Shinya Aoki (49-13, 1 NC), who hadn’t competed in RIZIN since its inaugural event in 2015.
The 43-year-old wasn’t as successful as he was then, however, losing via vicious first-round knockout to featherweight superstar Mikuru Asakura (20-6, 1 NC).
Check out the complete Super RIZIN 5 results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s round-by-round play-by-play of the championship main event.
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Super RIZIN 5 results
RIZIN and PFL Featherweight championship: Razhabali Shaydullaev (c.) def. A.J. McKee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lightweight: Mikuru Asakura def. Shinya Aoki via KO (punches) at 2:39 of R1
Featherweight: Ren Hiramoto def. Karshyga Dautbek via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
Lightweight: Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza def. Shunta Nomura via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Featherweight: Yutaka Saito def. “Ya-Man” Ren Sugiyama via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Vugar Karamov def. Ryo Takagi via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Super atomweight: Natasha Kuziutina def. Rena Kubota via submission (guillotine) at 3:14 of R2
Lightweight kickboxing: Meison Hide Usami def. BeyNoah via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Shaydullaev punches forward before McKee punches back and steps in with knees. Shaydullaev applies further pressure, diving for a double leg. He wants another slam but can’t quite get it, instead dragging McKee into the corner on his butt. Shaydullaev maintains control, dealing with McKee’s butterfly hooks. McKee manages to sneak around Shaydullaev and briefly work to his feet until Shaydullaev wizzers him back to the mat to land a hard knee to the head. McKee takes the back out of nowhere and attempts to work around Shaydullaev’s neck and tease full mount. Shaydullaev bursts and spins out to take full guard on top. This guy is too damn good. McKee explodes out of nowhere and gets to his feet. He starts connecting with Shaydullaev, who staggers. They’re getting sloppy and landing! McKee checks the clock. 90 seconds, and Shaydullaev dives in to initiate a scramble toward the ropes. They break, and Shaydullaev kicks the chest of McKee before another takedown attempt gets sprawled on. Shaydullaev is just forcing McKee to work nonstop. McKee finds a moment to blast for a late takedown and gets it, landing in half guard. Too little, too late with 20 seconds.
10-9 Shaydullaev. (30-27 Shaydullaev.)
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Drake Riggs
McKee jabs to start before he’s backed up and narrowly avoids a head kick. Shaydullaev presses and takes a body kick before McKee dives in for a double leg. He gets to the back and drags Shaydullaev down for a quick scramble. They bounce around, and McKee takes some massive shots before Shaydullaev blasts in for another takedown attempt. He glides atop McKee before they move back to a half-guard position in the corner. Shaydullaev lands some light body punches before going to the head with bigger bursts. Sneaky elbows get through for Shaydullaev. McKee is just pinned and hanging on, as Shaydullaev moves to side control. McKee has some cuts around his eye. He has to worry about knees now, but finds a moment to scramble up mid-transition. Shaydullaev continues to bomb in with right hooks before another big takedown. McKee threatens with a guillotine, but Shaydullaev passes with ease to escape. They’re back to side control. McKee moves Shaydullaev to guard again. They’re in the middle of the ring this time, trading punches on the ground. McKee certainly seems more tired than he’s arguably ever been in a fight. Time expires.
10-9 Shaydullaev. (20-18 Shaydullaev.)
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
McKee strikes first with a nice side kick to the body. He kicks inside low before taking a jab. A right from McKee drops Shaydullaev! He presses forward to land another before Shaydullaev blasts back to land a shot in the corner, then shoots in for a massive elevated slam! He enters McKee’s guard. Wow. What a wild thing to see happen to McKee. Shaydullaev tries to make space for punches. McKee lands from below before taking a big punch square between the eyebrows. Shaydullaev drops an elbow to the jaw and follows with a right hand. He transitions to half guard. Shaydullaev continues to seek elbows while McKee tries to butterfly escape. An up-kick lands from McKee as they create space and start to drip through the ropes. The referee brings them back in, placing Shaydullaev in side control with a minute left. McKee works to half guard and takes an elbow from the bottom before getting back in full guard. More punches land for Shaydullaev, but McKee is calm in his demeanor. Time expires.
10-9 Shaydullaev.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
We have arrived. The main event for all the marbles — literally all of them. PFL and RIZIN gold all at once. AJ McKee enters the RIZIN ring for the second time in an effort to be the first to beat Shaydullaev.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
After surviving a scary back-take, Asakura avoids an armbar and unleashes a filthy barrage of punches that puts Aoki out almost instantly. The referee decides to wait for far too many punches to land, but nonetheless, my goodness, that was brutal.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Only two left at Super RIZIN 5. It is EARLY here in the States, but we’re keeping strong, as the legendary Aoki makes what could be his final walk to an MMA enclosure. First, he has to get through Mikuru Asakura.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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