Rizin: Shiwasu no Cho Tsuwamono Matsuri - Shaydullaev vs. Asakura (December Soldier Festival) is a combat sports event that will be held by Rizin Fighting Federation on December 31, 2025, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Main card
Featherweight 66 kg Kyrgyzstan Razhabali Shaydullaev (c) vs. Japan Mikuru Asakura Featherweight Championship
Lightweight 71 kg Brazil Roberto de Souza (c) vs. Uzbekistan Ilkhom Nozimov Lightweight Championship
Intermission
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Hiromasa Ougikubo vs. Japan Yuki Motoya Flyweight Grand Prix Final for the vacant Flyweight Championship
Bantamweight 61 kg Japan Naoki Inoue (c) vs. United States Danny Sabatello Bantamweight Championship
Super Atomweight 49 kg Japan Seika Izawa (c) vs. Japan Rena Kubota Super Atomweight Championship
Featherweight 66 kg Brazil Kleber Koike Erbst vs. Azerbaijan Vugar Karamov
Intermission
Bantamweight 61 kg Japan Ryuya Fukuda vs. Japan Tatsuya Ando
Featherweight 66 kg Japan Kyoma Akimoto vs. Japan Suguru Nii
Featherweight 66 kg Kazakhstan Karshyga Dautbek vs. Japan Yuta Kubo
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Makoto Takahashi vs. Japan Hiroya Kondo
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Joji Goto vs. United States Jose Torres
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Tatsuki Shinotsuka vs. Japan Daichi Tomizawa
Catchweight 73 kg Japan Tatsuya Saika vs. United States BeyNoah
Bantamweight 61 kg Japan Ryusei Ashizawa vs. Japan Ryoma Shishimoto
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Makoto Takahashi vs. Japan Hiroya Kondo
Opening Ceremony
Flyweight 57 kg Japan Yuri Suda vs. Brazil Enzo Massami Iamazato
Background
Saitama Spectacle: A Five-Championship Extravaganza at Rizin's December Soldier Festival
Rizin Fighting Federation returns to its spiritual home, the Saitama Super Arena, for the most prestigious date on the combat sports calendar: New Year's Eve. On December 31, 2025, Rizin: Shiwasu no Cho Tsuwamono Matsuri (December Soldier Festival) will serve as a massive celebration of martial arts, featuring an unprecedented five title fights and a card overflowing with national icons and international killers. This marathon event represents the pinnacle of the 2025 season, delivering a high-stakes gauntlet that will redefine the landscapes of the Featherweight, Lightweight, Bantamweight, Flyweight, and Super Atomweight divisions.
Main Event: Featherweight Supremacy and a Quest for Redemption
The evening’s grand finale features a monumental clash for the Featherweight Championship (66 kg) as the dominant champion from Kyrgyzstan, Razhabali Shaydullaev, defends his crown against Japan’s biggest combat sports superstar, Mikuru Asakura. Shaydullaev has established himself as a terrifying force in the division, utilizing a relentless grappling game and clinical finishing ability to remain atop the mountain. He faces a career-defining challenge in Asakura, the visionary striker who returns to the Rizin ring with the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders. This is more than a title fight; it is a collision of eras and styles, pitting the champion's suffocating pressure against the counter-striking brilliance of Japan’s most famous fighter.
Lightweight Championship: The BJJ Wizard vs. the Uzbek Threat
In the co-main event, the Lightweight Championship (71 kg) is on the line as the legendary Roberto "Satoshi" de Souza defends his gold against Uzbekistan’s Ilkhom Nozimov. De Souza, a world-renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, has long been the gold standard for Rizin’s 155-pound division, possessing a submission game that can end a fight from any position. However, Nozimov represents a dangerous new wave of talent, bringing a well-rounded skillset and the physical strength to test the champion’s resolve. This international showdown promises high-level technicality as Satoshi looks to cement his legacy against a hungry challenger determined to bring the belt back to Central Asia.
Championship Triple-Header: Grand Prix Glory and Divisional Dominance
The action is bolstered by three additional world title bouts that could each headline their own event. The vacant Flyweight Championship (57 kg) will finally find a home as the Flyweight Grand Prix reaches its conclusion in an all-Japanese final between the gritty veteran Hiromasa Ougikubo and the versatile Yuki Motoya. Both men have fought through a grueling tournament bracket to reach this moment, ensuring a technical masterpiece between two of the country's most respected martial artists.
The Bantamweight Championship (61 kg) will also be contested as the highly technical Naoki Inoue defends his title against the outspoken American standout Danny Sabatello. Known for his elite wrestling and relentless pace, Sabatello looks to play the villain in Saitama and take the gold back to the United States, while Inoue aims to prove that his precision and cage IQ are unmatched. Furthermore, the Super Atomweight Queen Seika Izawa looks to continue her historic run of dominance as she defends her 49 kg title against the "Shoot Boxing" pioneer and Japanese legend, Rena Kubota. This generational clash pits the unstoppable grappling of the undefeated Izawa against the veteran striking experience of Kubota in a fight that has the fans in Japan divided.
A Loaded Card of Contenders and Rising Stars
Beyond the title fights, the event features a high-stakes Featherweight encounter between former champion Kleber Koike Erbst and Azerbaijan’s explosive Vugar Karamov, a bout that likely determines the next person in line for the 66 kg throne. The card is further deepened by appearances from fan favorites like Ryusei Ashizawa and elite strikers such as Kazakhstan’s Karshyga Dautbek, who meets the former K-1 champion Yuta Kubo in a fascinating stylistic match. From the opening ceremony clash between Yuri Suda and Enzo Massami Iamazato to the final bell of the main event, the December Soldier Festival is set to be a transformative night for mixed martial arts, honoring the warrior tradition of New Year's Eve in spectacular fashion.
A heavyweight bout between 2025 Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Alexander Soldatkin and former two-time Bellator MMA champion Ryan Bader for the inaugural Rizin Heavyweight Championship was expected to take place at this event. However, Bader withdrew due to multiple injuries in his hip and groin.
RIZIN Shiwasu no Cho Tsuwamono Matsuri - Shaydullaev vs. Asakura Trailer
