Shaidullaev and McKee make weight for historic Rizin-PFL dual title fight in Osaka

Rajabali Shaidullaev and A.J. McKee are cleared to compete in one of MMA’s most unusual title fights after both men made weight for Super Rizin 5 at Kyocera Dome Osaka on September 10. Shaidullaev came in at the 145.5-pound limit, while McKee weighed 145.4 pounds, setting the stage for a 66-kilogram main event with both the Rizin featherweight championship and the PFL title on the line simultaneously.

The dual-organisation format is a rare arrangement in MMA, with the winner standing to hold belts from two separate promotions. Shaidullaev enters as the reigning Rizin featherweight champion, while McKee represents the Professional Fighters League’s stake in the contest. A victory for either man would carry significant cross-promotional weight in the sport’s increasingly competitive landscape.

The card surrounding the main event is equally stacked. Mikuru Asakura and Shinya Aoki — two of Japan’s most recognisable fighters — meet at 156.5 and 155.8 pounds respectively, while Karshyga Dautbek and Ren Hiramoto both made the featherweight mark for their co-main slot. Roberto Satoshi de Souza and Shunta Nomura also cleared weight for their lightweight contest.

The full weigh-in results for Super Rizin 5 are as follows:

Rajabali Shaidullaev (145.5) vs. A.J. McKee (145.4)

Mikuru Asakura (156.5) vs. Shinya Aoki (155.8)

Karshyga Dautbek (145.2) vs. Ren Hiramoto (145.4)

Roberto Satoshi de Souza (156) vs. Shunta Nomura (156.4)

Yutaka Saito (145.3) vs. Ren Sugiyama (145.5)

Vugar Karamov (145) vs. Ryo Takagi (145.4)

Rena Kubota (108) vs. Natalia Kuziutina (107.5)

Kickboxing bout: Hide Meison Usami (156.3) vs. Noah “Black Panther” Bey (156.4)