Undefeated dual champion Shaidullaev signs two-year MVP deal ahead of Rizin farewell

Rajabali Shaidullaev will compete under the Most Valuable Promotions banner from 2027, with the undefeated 25-year-old having already signed a two-year deal with the promotion, according to journalist Ariel Helwani. The agreement follows the MVP-PFL merger, under which the combined entity will operate as MVP beginning next year.

Shaidullaev enters the new chapter of his career as a dual champion. The 20-0 featherweight claimed the Professional Fighters League title and retained his Rizin championship in the same night, earning a unanimous decision victory over A.J. McKee in the main event of Super Rizin 5. It marked the first time in his career that Shaidullaev had gone the full distance, having finished every previous opponent.

Before his MVP tenure begins, Shaidullaev has one final obligation to Rizin. He is scheduled to defend his featherweight title against Kyoma Akimoto on the Japanese promotion’s traditional New Year’s Eve card — a marquee event that regularly draws some of the largest MMA audiences in Asia.

The McKee win was a significant statement for Shaidullaev. The American is a former Bellator featherweight champion and one of the most decorated fighters in the 145-pound division outside the UFC, making the unanimous verdict a result that will sharpen international attention on the young Uzbek fighter heading into 2027.

With an unblemished record, two major titles, and a high-profile promotional home secured, Shaidullaev is positioned as one of the most compelling unsigned talents — relative to the UFC — in featherweight MMA. Whether MVP’s growing infrastructure will eventually bring him into contact with the sport’s biggest names remains to be seen, but the foundations are firmly in place.