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Rizin Fighting Federation is Japan’s premier mixed martial arts promotion and one of the most important combat sports organizations outside the UFC. Founded in 2015 by Nobuyuki Sakakibara — the former CEO of Pride Fighting Championships — Rizin is the spiritual successor to Pride FC, one of the greatest MMA promotions in history. For fans of combat sports, understanding Rizin is essential to understanding the global MMA landscape.

History and Background

When Pride FC folded in 2007 after being purchased by the UFC, Japanese MMA lost its home. Japan had been one of the two major hubs of the sport — alongside the UFC — and Pride’s events at venues like the Tokyo Dome and Saitama Super Arena had been landmark moments in combat sports history.

Rizin was founded specifically to fill that void. Its first event was held at the Saitama Super Arena in December 2015, deliberately evoking the Pride tradition. Like Pride, Rizin features large, elaborate production values, events at iconic venues, and a willingness to book dream matchups and showcase Japanese fighters against international competition.

Rizin Rules

Rizin follows a unique ruleset that differs from the Unified Rules of MMA used by the UFC and most North American promotions:

• Open-finger gloves — Rizin uses open-finger gloves that are smaller and lighter than UFC gloves, which affects the grappling game and creates different submission opportunities.
• Soccer kicks permitted — Kicks to a grounded opponent’s head are allowed in Rizin (as they were in Pride), dramatically changing the ground game dynamics. Fighters on the ground must be aware of standing opponents at all times.
• Stomps permitted — Standing stomps to a grounded opponent are also legal under Rizin’s rules.
• Heel kicks to the kidney — Permitted from certain positions.
• Standard ring — Rizin uses a traditional boxing-style ring rather than a cage, which affects the grappling dynamics, particularly along the ropes.

These rule differences mean that fighters who compete in Rizin are operating in a significantly different environment than UFC fighters. The ability to throw soccer kicks changes how wrestlers approach the ground game, and the ring ropes create scrambling situations that a cage does not.

Notable Rizin Events and Fighters

Rizin has featured some of the most significant combat sports events in recent years, including:

• Fedor Emelianenko’s final fights — The Last Emperor competed in Rizin multiple times before his retirement, providing Japanese fans with the opportunity to see one of the sport’s greatest figures one final time.
• Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (2018) — A high-profile exhibition boxing match that demonstrated Rizin’s willingness to stage spectacle events.
• Kyoji Horiguchi — One of the best Japanese fighters in history, Horiguchi has competed in both Rizin and Bellator, winning titles in both organizations.
• Bellator co-promotions — Rizin has co-promoted several events with Bellator MMA, featuring cross-promotional fights that boosted both organizations’ profiles.

Japanese MMA Culture

Rizin exists within a specific cultural context that shapes how the promotion operates. Japan has a rich combat sports tradition — professional wrestling (puroresu) has been enormously popular for decades, and the tradition of martial arts is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. Pride FC capitalized on this by positioning MMA within that tradition, featuring elaborate entrances, dramatic presentation, and a respect for the martial arts heritage.

Rizin continues this approach. Events are elaborate productions. Japanese fighters are showcased as national heroes. The presentation borrows from both the sport’s tradition and Japanese entertainment culture in ways that make Rizin events feel different from UFC events even when the fighting is at a comparable level.

Rizin vs. UFC: How They Compare

The UFC remains the world’s dominant MMA organization by revenue, talent depth, and global reach. Rizin operates at a smaller scale but occupies a unique niche. Its advantages include:

• Deep connection to Japanese MMA culture and history
• Willingness to book dream fights that the UFC might not arrange
• The distinctive ruleset, which creates different and often more exciting fights
• Access to elite Japanese fighters who prefer to compete domestically
• Production value and spectacle that is genuinely distinctive

For MMA fans who only watch the UFC, exploring Rizin’s library is a genuine education in how the sport can look different under different rules in a different cultural context. The soccer kicks alone change the character of fights dramatically, and several Rizin events have produced matches that rank among the best MMA fights of their respective years.

How to Watch Rizin

Rizin events are available for international audiences through pay-per-view and streaming platforms. The promotion has expanded its international distribution in recent years to reach a global audience beyond Japan. Their main events typically take place on Japanese holiday weekends, with the New Year’s Eve events at Saitama Super Arena being among the most anticipated in combat sports each year.