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RIZIN Otoko Matsuri: Koike vs. Shaydullaev preview and best fights

Everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's RIZIN card.
Drew Beaupre|
(RIZIN FF)

RIZIN FF returns this weekend with RIZIN: Otoko Matsuri, which takes place at the Tokyo Dome and features a stacked card of martial arts action.

After holding RIZIN 49: Decade on New Year’s Eve at Saitama Super Arena, the promotion headed to Anabuki Arena Kagawa last month for RIZIN 50, which saw Naoki Inoue defend his bantamweight belt via split decision against Yuki Motoya.

RIZIN gold will once again be on the line this weekend in Tokyo, and the card will also include three out of the four quarterfinal matchups for the 2025 RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix.

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The Main Event

The main event will see Kleber Koike try to defend his RIZIN featherweight belt for the second time when he meets the undefeated Razhabali Shaydullaev.

Koike scored back-to-back submissions against Yutaka Saito and Juan Archuleta before he successfully defended his featherweight belt against Chihiro Suzuki at RIZIN 49, while Shaydullaev debuted for RIZIN last year and stopped all three opponents that he faced.

The Co-Main Event

The card’s co-main event is another featherweight MMA bout featuring the division’s former titleholder Chihiro Suzuki taking on Mikuru Asakura.

Suzuki was on a lengthy win streak before he came up short against Koike in their rematch and also dropped his next fight to Karshyga Dautbek at RIZIN 50, and Asakura will also be hunting for his first victory since 2023 when the two men enter the ring at the Tokyo Dome.

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2025 RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix

Marek Samociuk vs. Daniel James

One of two Heavyweight Grand Prix matchups* to not features a Japanese fighter, KSW veteran Samociuk comes into the night after scoring three wins in a row, while Daniel James scored a buzzer beater knockout against Marcelo Golm in his lone appearance for the PFL last year after the promotion purchased Bellator.

Mikio Ueda vs. Shoma Shibisai

RIZIN veterans collide in this fight between Ueda and Shibisai, and given the respective finishing rates of the two Japanese fighters it looks unlikely that this bout will make it to the judges’ scorecards.

Tsuyoshi Sudario vs. Jose Augusto

Former sumo wrestler and longtime RIZIN veteran Sudario will take on Augusto, who is currently riding the momentum of three-straight wins between Bellator and the LFA.

*The last quarterfinal bout between Baktybek Uulu and Alexander Soldatkin has been postponed due to an Uulu injury.

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Fighters To Watch

Danny Sabatello

A longtime veteran of Bellator that challenged for the promotion’s interim bantamweight title in 2022, Sabatello fought to a majority draw with Lazaro Dayron in his lone PFL appearance last year and will now make his formal RIZIN debut against Shinobu Ota after he previously met Magomed Magomedov at Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN 2 in 2023.

John Dodson

Two-time UFC title challenger Dodson earned a unanimous decision over Takaki Soya in a bareknuckle boxing fight at Super RIZIN 3 last July, and now “The Magician” will run things back with Soya in an MMA bout at the Tokyo Dome.

Taisei Sakuraba

Son of the legendary Kasushi Sakuraba, Taisei returns for his second MMA bout after he stopped Yusuke Yachi in just 26 seconds seconds in his debut at RIZIN 49.

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The preliminary card for RIZIN: Otoko Matsuri will kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET on YouTube on Saturday night (May 3), and the main card action will start at 12:00 a.m. ET on PPV through RIZIN.TV.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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