AJ McKee (25-2) will face undefeated RIZIN featherweight champion Razhabali Shaydullaev (18-0) on September 10, 2026, with both the RIZIN title and the vacant PFL featherweight strap simultaneously on the line. The bout, announced by PFL CEO John Martin, is part of Super RIZIN 5 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan. It marks the first time both promotions' featherweight titles will be contested in a single fight, with the winner set to represent both organizations going forward. McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion, is riding a three-fight winning streak, while Shaydullaev has defended the RIZIN title three times since claiming it in May 2025.
AJ McKee is reportedly set to collide with undefeated RIZIN featherweight champion Razhabali Shaydullaev in a historic dual-title fight, according to reports circulating ahead of an official announcement. The bout, attributed to a statement by PFL CEO John Martin, would place both the RIZIN featherweight championship and the vacant PFL featherweight title on the line simultaneously when the two men meet on September 10, 2026, at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, as part of Super RIZIN 5. Nothing, however, has been formally confirmed.
McKee, known as "Mercenary," carries a professional record of 25-2 and would enter the fight on a three-fight winning streak. The 178-centimeter American is a former Bellator featherweight champion, adding considerable pedigree to his case as a title contender. His verified numbers reflect a relentless grappling-forward game, averaging more than eleven takedowns and eleven submission attempts per fifteen minutes — figures that paint the picture of a fighter who rarely lets opponents settle into a rhythm on the feet.
Shaydullaev, his reported opponent, arrives undefeated at 18-0 and has defended the RIZIN featherweight title three times since capturing it in May 2025, establishing himself as one of the most dominant featherweights in Japanese MMA.
Why it matters
- The reported bout would be the first time the PFL and RIZIN featherweight titles have been contested simultaneously in a single fight
- The winner would ostensibly represent both promotions as a unified featherweight champion going forward
- McKee's elite submission and takedown output sets up a potentially dramatic stylistic clash with a champion who has yet to taste defeat
