RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara says MMA cannot afford to freeze its rulebook, placing that argument directly beside the A.J. McKee-Razhabali Shaydullaev double-title fight at Super RIZIN 5.
The Japanese promoter delivered the criticism in subtitled fight-week footage before Thursday’s event at Kyocera Dome Osaka. McKee and Shaydullaev will contest the RIZIN featherweight championship and vacant PFL featherweight title in one bout under RIZIN MMA rules.
“This sport has only been around for about 30 years. It’s a young sport. If you compare it to soccer, baseball, or basketball, it doesn’t have a long history. That’s why I don’t think we should stop evolving. Like this time, with PFL and RIZIN as promotions coming together — we should take on a new challenge.”
“Maybe this isn’t the best way to say it, but I think sticking to the ‘Unified Rules’ is holding back the evolution of the sport. I think we should be open to changing the rules. Even Judo and Wrestling has changed its rules.”
Sakakibara did not argue for one specific amendment in the clip. His broader case was that MMA remains young enough to test different competitive structures, especially when two promotions are sharing the same main event.
Super RIZIN 5 Turns The Rules Debate Into A Double-Title Fight
The source footage moves between Sakakibara’s remarks and the two featherweights posing with their respective championship belts. It also shows PFL chief executive John Martin and longtime fight executive Mike Kogan participating in the cross-promotional production.
“And this time, John Martin and Mike Kogan and the PFL wanted to try something new. For the first time in MMA history, in one fight, a fighter can win both belts. We want to create something that excites the fans. Something that makes you wonder, ‘What is going to happen?’”
“I absolutely believe this is how we can make the future of the sport even bigger. This is a vision that both promotions share, and that’s how we made this big decision.”
Shaydullaev enters the Osaka main event at 19-0 after finishing Mikuru Asakura on New Year’s Eve. McKee brings a 25-2 record and the experience of a former Bellator featherweight champion into his first RIZIN appearance since the 2022 Bellator-versus-RIZIN card.
The matchup has already drawn attention beyond both promotions. Brian Ortega recently said McKee represents the level of elite fighters working outside the UFC, adding another layer to a main event designed to compare champions, organizations and rule sets at once.
Sakakibara Sees A Larger Future For Promotion Partnerships
Sakakibara framed the experiment as a shared attempt to create uncertainty for fans rather than a one-night promotional trick. The winner will leave Osaka holding two active featherweight titles, giving RIZIN and PFL a concrete result from the partnership he says can help expand the sport.
