AJ McKee Makes Weight Ahead of Super RIZIN 5, Ready for Historic RIZIN vs. PFL Featherweight Championship

AJ McKee has officially made weight ahead of Super RIZIN 5, clearing the final hurdle before one of the biggest fights of his career against undefeated RIZIN featherweight champion Razhabali Shaydullaev.

The former Bellator Featherweight World Champion will enter the ring at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, on September 10 with an opportunity to become a two-promotion world champion as he battles Shaydullaev for the RIZIN and PFL Featherweight World Championships.

The main event is scheduled for the featherweight limit of 145.5 pounds, and with McKee successfully making weight, the championship showdown is officially ready to go.

This isn’t simply another fight for the 31-year-old Southern California star.

It is a championship collision between two of the most dangerous featherweights competing outside the UFC—and a chance for McKee to add another world title to an already extraordinary résumé.

AJ McKee vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev: Champion vs. Champion

McKee enters Super RIZIN 5 with the experience of having already reached the top of Bellator’s featherweight division.

Known as “The Mercenary,” McKee built his reputation as one of the most complete and dangerous fighters of his generation, combining elite striking, athleticism, submissions and fight IQ.

Now he faces perhaps the most dangerous opponent of his career.

Shaydullaev enters the fight with a perfect 19-0 professional record, having finished every opponent in his career. His résumé includes seven knockout victories and 12 submissions, and remarkably, none of his opponents have made it beyond the second round.

That makes the matchup particularly compelling.

McKee has the championship experience.

Shaydullaev has the undefeated record and finishing streak.

And when the cage door closes in Osaka, both RIZIN and PFL gold will be on the line.

The winner will emerge with a powerful claim to being the best featherweight competing outside the UFC.

McKee’s Opportunity to Make More History

For McKee, Super RIZIN 5 represents another opportunity to establish his legacy on the international MMA stage.

The California native has already competed against some of the biggest names in the sport and has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to perform under championship pressure.

His move into RIZIN has also connected him with one of MMA’s most passionate markets.

Now, McKee has the opportunity to become a champion representing two major organizations simultaneously.

The significance of the fight extends beyond the individual title belts.

RIZIN and PFL are putting their featherweight championships together in one matchup, creating a rare cross-promotional championship fight.

That makes AJ McKee vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev one of the most important non-UFC featherweight fights of 2026.

An Undefeated Monster Stands Across the Ring

While much of the attention will understandably be focused on McKee, Shaydullaev is not a fighter who can be overlooked.

The 25-year-old Kyrgyzstani fighter has emerged as one of the most feared prospects in international MMA.

His 19-0 record tells only part of the story.

Every victory has come by stoppage, including 12 submissions and seven knockouts. Even more impressive, Shaydullaev has never been forced into a third round.

He has already defeated established names including Koji Takeda, Juan Archuleta, Yuta Kubo, Kleber Koike Erbst, Viktor Kolesnik and Mikuru Asakura, establishing himself as one of RIZIN’s elite featherweights.

McKee now gets the opportunity to stop the undefeated champion’s momentum.

Super RIZIN 5 Is Loaded From Top to Bottom

While AJ McKee vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev is the marquee attraction, Super RIZIN 5 features a deep card showcasing some of the biggest names in Japanese MMA.

The event takes place Thursday, September 10, at Kyocera Dome Osaka, with the event available internationally through RIZIN’s streaming platform.

AJ McKee vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev

RIZIN & PFL Featherweight Championship — 145.5 lbs.

The main event has all the ingredients of a classic.

Former Bellator champion AJ McKee faces undefeated RIZIN champion Razhabali Shaydullaev in a champion-vs.-champion battle with two world titles at stake.

Mikuru Asakura vs. Shinya Aoki

Lightweight — 156.5 lbs.

Japanese superstar Mikuru Asakura faces legendary submission specialist Shinya Aoki in one of the most intriguing matchups on the card.

Aoki brings decades of elite-level experience and a decorated championship résumé, while Asakura represents one of Japan’s biggest MMA stars.

The fight also carries a fascinating generational storyline, with Aoki returning to RIZIN a decade after his first appearance with the promotion.

Karshyga Dautbek vs. Ren Hiramoto

Lightweight — 156.5 lbs.

Two dangerous Japanese and international lightweight talents meet in another high-level matchup designed to keep the action moving.

Roberto de Souza vs. Shunta Nomura

Lightweight — 156.5 lbs.

Former RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza returns against Shunta Nomura in a matchup featuring elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Japanese MMA talent.

Yutaka Saito vs. Ya-Man

Featherweight — 145.5 lbs.

Former RIZIN featherweight champion Yutaka Saito takes on the always-dangerous Ya-Man.

Vugar Karamov vs. Ryo Takagi

Featherweight — 145.5 lbs.

Another important featherweight matchup adds even more depth to a division already headlined by McKee and Shaydullaev.

RENA vs. Natasha Kuziutina

108 lbs.

Japanese women’s MMA star RENA takes on Natasha Kuziutina in a matchup featuring two experienced competitors.

Beynoah vs. Hide Meison Usami

Open-Finger Glove Kickboxing — 156.6 lbs.

The card also features a special open-finger-glove kickboxing matchup between Beynoah and Hide Meison Usami.

Why Super RIZIN 5 Matters

RIZIN has long represented one of the most important platforms for elite MMA talent in Japan, and Super RIZIN 5 continues that tradition by bringing together championship-level fighters and major Japanese stars.

But the AJ McKee vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev matchup gives this particular event a global dimension.

It is a fight between an American former world champion and an undefeated international champion.

It is RIZIN vs. PFL.

It is experience vs. undefeated momentum.

And it is two of the most dangerous featherweights in the world competing for championship supremacy.

For McKee, the mission is simple:

Make history.

The weight cut is complete. The titles are on the line. The stage is set.

Now AJ McKee has to step inside the RIZIN ring and prove that he belongs at the very top of the global featherweight division.