Featherweight phenom Razhabali Shaidulloev will be a MVP MMA fighter in 2027.
Shaidulloev defended his RIZIN belt and captured the vacant PFL title with a unanimous decision victory over A.J. McKee in the main event of Thursday’s Super RIZIN 5 in Osaka, Japan, and already has a deal in place to join the MVP roster in 2027.
MMA Fighting has confirmed the sources following a report from Ariel Helwani.
MVP has merged with PFL and will move forward under the MVP name in 2027, and Shaidulloev is the first
talent to sign with MVP since the deal was made. Shaidulloev agreed to a two-year deal with MVP.
Shaidulloev, 25, holds a perfect 19-0 record in the sport with 18 stoppages, going the distance for the first time in his career Thursday to beat McKee. The Tajikistani featherweight is 8-0 under the RIZIN banner, an impressive run that includes stoppages over the likes of Kleber Koike, Juan Archuleta and Mikuru Asakura.
Shaidulloev will enter the RIZIN ring one last time before moving to MVP, though, competing on the final bout of his current deal with the Japanese promotion to defend his belt versus Kyoma Akimoto on the New Year’s Eve event. Akimoto earned a shot at the belt after beating ex-champion Koike via decision this past August.
