Razhabali Shaydullaev walked into RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve showcase as an unbeaten featherweight champion with hype, but he walked out as something closer to a looming problem for the entire division. In a main event framed as a clash between a surging titleholder and Japan’s most bankable star, he did not just defend his belt, he dismantled Mikuru Asakura with a level of control that silenced the Saitama Super Arena. The stoppage, and the way it unfolded, underlined a widening gap between Shaydullaev and the rest of the field at 145 pounds.
The finish capped a night already loaded with title fights and quick knockouts, yet it was the image of Asakura being taken out on a stretcher that crystallized how brutally one-sided the headliner had become. For RIZIN, which built this New Year’s Eve card as a “Super Powerhouse” celebration of its first decade, the result both validated its investment in Shaydullaev and raised uncomfortable questions about where its homegrown star goes from here.
Champion’s dominance on full display
From the opening exchange, Shaydullaev fought like a champion intent on removing all doubt rather than simply edging out a decision. He pressed forward behind sharp entries, closed distance before Asakura could settle into his preferred counterpunching rhythm, and quickly turned the bout into a showcase of physicality. Reports from the event describe the champion landing high amplitude throws and heavy ground strikes that left Asakura struggling to mount any meaningful offense before the stoppage arrived in the first round.
The official result lists Razhabali Shaydullaev retaining his featherweight title by TKO, with punches finishing the job after he had already broken Asakura’s balance and confidence with repeated takedowns and top control. One detailed rundown of the Anniversary Super Powerhouse Festival results notes that the champion’s barrage forced the referee’s intervention, while another account of the Super Powerhouse Matsuri results emphasizes how completely he dominated arguably Japan’s most popular MMA star. A separate live update confirmed that Razhabali Shaydullaev defeats Mikuru Asakura by TKO in the main event and that Asakura was removed by stretcher, underscoring the severity of the beating even in victory for the champion.
What the finish says about Shaydullaev’s skill set
The manner of the stoppage fit neatly with Shaydullaev’s broader statistical profile, which already painted him as a finisher with a suffocating grappling base. According to his documented record, he entered the New Year’s Eve card at 17-0 with a strikingly lopsided distribution of wins: 11 by Submission or SUB and 6 by KO/TKO, with 0 by Decision or DEC. Those numbers translate to 65% of his victories coming via submission and 35% via TKO, a breakdown that highlights how rarely opponents survive long enough to test him on the scorecards and how comfortable he is ending fights in multiple phases.
Against Asakura, he leaned more heavily on his wrestling and top pressure than on pure submission hunting, but the threat of both forced the challenger into a defensive shell. Reports from the event describe Shaydullaev landing explosive throws that put Asakura on his back and then punishing him with strikes until the referee stepped in, a sequence that mirrors the finishing tendencies reflected on his MMA fighter page. The fact that he could dominate a seasoned striker like Asakura with that approach, while still carrying the statistical profile of a submission specialist, suggests a champion whose game is not only well rounded but also tailored to exploit whatever opening an opponent presents.
Asakura’s setback and the risk of star matchmaking
For Mikuru Asakura, the loss was more than a routine title defeat, it was a brutal reminder of the risks that come with consistently facing elite opposition in high profile spots. He entered the bout as arguably Japan’s most popular MMA figure, a fighter whose charisma and willingness to engage in striking battles had made him a fixture of RIZIN’s biggest shows. Against Shaydullaev, however, that star aura offered no protection once the champion began chaining takedowns and ground strikes, and the visual of Asakura being stretchered out of the arena quickly became one of the defining images of the night.
Accounts of the brutal KOs at RIZIN NYE stress how thoroughly Shaydullaev shut down Asakura’s offense, noting that the challenger was on the defensive from the moment the champion secured his first throw. Another summary of the RIZIN NYE results frames the fight as Shaydullaev’s second successful featherweight title defense, which only sharpens the contrast between a champion still ascending and a local hero who suddenly looks a step behind the division’s cutting edge. The stretcher exit, confirmed in the live event update, raises difficult questions about how quickly RIZIN can or should rush Asakura back into another marquee slot after such a punishing night.
RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve spectacle and the featherweight picture
The promotion did not build this card around a single fight, and the wider event context only amplifies how emphatically Shaydullaev seized the spotlight. The New Year’s Eve show was branded as the RIZIN 10th Anniversary Super Powerhouse Festival, a celebratory lineup that stacked multiple title bouts and fan friendly matchups to close the year. Within that framework, the featherweight championship clash was positioned as the crown jewel, and Shaydullaev’s first round finish ensured that the main event delivered a definitive outcome rather than a tactical stalemate.
One comprehensive rundown of the RIZIN 10th Anniversary Super Powerhouse Festival results confirms that Razhabali Shaydullaev, listed as champion, stopped Mikuru Asakura by TKO with punches in their featherweight title bout. Another summary of the RIZIN NYE event notes that Four other title fights shared the stage, yet it was Shaydullaev who remained undefeated in the main event. That combination of a spotless record, a violent finish, and a showcase slot on the promotion’s signature date cements him as the central figure in RIZIN’s featherweight plans heading into the new year.
What comes next for Shaydullaev and RIZIN
With a second successful defense in the books and a 17-0 record intact, Shaydullaev now occupies the kind of position that forces a promotion to think carefully about matchmaking. He has already dispatched one of its biggest domestic draws in decisive fashion, and his finishing rates, split at 35% by TKO and 65% by submission, suggest that simply pairing him with another striker or grappler will not be enough to level the playing field. Instead, RIZIN must decide whether to prioritize finding fresh challengers who can at least threaten his takedown entries or to lean into his dominance as a selling point for future New Year’s Eve and anniversary cards.
The reporting on the RIZIN NYE main event already frames Shaydullaev as a force at 145 pounds, a champion whose blend of wrestling, submissions, and increasingly confident striking makes him a difficult puzzle to solve. Another overview of the NYE title fights underscores that he remained undefeated while other champions on the card were upset, reinforcing his status as one of the promotion’s most reliable anchors. How RIZIN leverages that reliability, whether by importing new contenders or building rematches around domestic stars trying to solve the Shaydullaev problem, will shape not only the featherweight division but also the promotion’s marquee events in the year ahead.