AJ McKee Jr. set to Challenge Razhabali Shaydullaev for PFL and RIZIN 145 pound Championship
The PFL announced another marquee event for 2026 on Monday morning, as former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee Jr. will challenge Razhabali Shaydullaev for the vacant PFL and RIZIN featherweight titles on Sept. 10 in Osaka, Japan. The bout will headline the fifth installment of RIZIN’s “Super RIZIN” series.
Looking at AJ McKee Jr.
AJ McKee Jr. most recently competed at the end of June, defeating the previously unbeaten Salamat Isbulaev in his hometown of San Diego. “The Mercenary” owns a professional record of 25-2, with all of his fights coming under the Bellator/PFL banner. He captured the Bellator featherweight championship in July 2021 by submitting Patricio “Pitbull” Freire with a guillotine choke after dropping him with a head kick. Pitbull reclaimed the title in their rematch, but McKee Jr. has since gone 7-1 while competing at both 145 and 155 pounds. The matchup marks his first championship fight in more than four years.
The Toughest Test in the career of AJ McKee Jr.
Shaydullaev has long been one of the faces of RIZIN. The Kyrgyzstan native is 18-0 with an incredible 100% finishing rate and has successfully defended his championship four times. He most recently competed in April, stopping Yuta Kubo via first-round TKO. Needless to say, Shaydullaev presents arguably the toughest test in the career of AJ McKee Jr.
AJ McKee Jr. Has fought for RIZIN Before:
This will not be the first collaboration between PFL and RIZIN. The organizations first partnered in December 2022, when Bellator and RIZIN co-promoted an event in Japan that featured AJ McKee Jr. defeating Roberto de Souza. More recently, the promotions worked together in May at a PFL event in Brussels, Belgium. That card also showcased the first talent-sharing agreement between the organizations, as RIZIN bantamweight champion Naoki Inoue crossed over and defeated 2025 PFL bantamweight champion Marcirley Alves.
One factor that could favor Shaydullaev is the venue itself. Unlike the PFL’s traditional SmartCage, RIZIN stages its MMA contests in a boxing-style ring. While the different environment presents unique strategic considerations, AJ McKee Jr. does have prior experience competing under RIZIN rules, having defeated de Souza in the ring in 2022.
Seven additional bouts have already been announced for the Super RIZIN 5 card, featuring notable names including Shinya Aoki, Vugar Karamov, and Rena Kubota.
Check out PFL Chief Executive Officer John Martin’s official statement below:
