On New Year’s Eve, the UFC remained in preparation mode as they looked forward to starting their Paramount+ era. However, little did Dana White know what was going on on the other side of the world. On December 31 in Japan, RIZIN FF went down at the historic Saitama Super Arena for the RIZIN Super Powerhouse Festival to create history.

“RIZIN sold out Saitama Super Arena with 37K people on New Year’s Eve. Yet Dana couldn’t sell out the 20K-capacity T-Mobile Arena. This is what happens when you overprice tickets, can’t make decent posters, and can’t promote beyond making an Instagram reel with ‘WHAT’S UP GUYS,’” a social media account named Mohi posted on X.

The UFC sold out most of its events in 2025. Still, RIZIN is gaining traction by competing against the well-established US-based promotion, just like it did on December 31.

In the stacked event in Japan, undefeated featherweight champion Razhabali Shaydullaev defended his title for the second straight time, taking on hometown favorite Mikuru Asakura in the main event. The Kyrgyzstani standout showcased his composure and control, eventually taking Asakura’s back and unloading punches to secure the victory.

The co-main event delivered instant chaos. Ilkhom Nazimov pulled off a Conor McGregor-style finish, flatlining Roberto de Souza just 13 seconds into the opening round to capture the lightweight championship. But the fireworks did not stop there. Veteran Hiromasa Ougikubo turned back the clock by defeating compatriot Yuki Motoya to claim the flyweight title, extending his winning streak to five in the process.

The final Rizin event of 2025 also featured former UFC fighter Naoki Inoue, who defended his bantamweight title against American grappling ace Danny Sabatello. In the fight, Inoue’s experience inside Dana White’s promotion clearly showed throughout the fight, but Sabatello ultimately walked away with the belt via a razor-close split decision.

Considering the promotion’s success, fans have begun urging Dana White to take a closer look at the Asian market, which is clearly producing spectacles they feel are superior in terms of lighting, posters, and overall storytelling.

Fans get on White to boost UFC in Asian markets

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “Wow this is really massive.” To see an MMA league pulling such a huge audience to watch athletes clash was certainly big. Following that comment, another user wrote, “UFC needs to go to Japan.” The UFC CEO has already shown interest in heading to the Land of the Rising Sun at UFC 323 with Joshua vs Tatsuro Taira. However, it’s still not official.

Another fan was so impressed that they straight up asked about the ticket prices, writing, “How much were RIZIN tickets?” UFC ticket prices have been one of the talking points in recent times. The worst spotlight came in UFC 321, starring Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane.

The much-touted fight ended with Aspinall leaving early due to the double eye poke, leaving fans wanting more. This was especially the case when UFC’s ticket prices range from $20 to even $20,000. On the other hand, RIZIN’s prices are quite hefty too, but they remain much lower than UFC’s. According to Fight Book MMA, the December 31st fight had tickets range from $105  to $7,013. However, the latter includes exclusive perks for the ticket holder. This is what attracted another user’s reaction.

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“RIZIN tickets are extremely expensive. Yet the reason it still has so many fans is that each fighter is skilled at weaving their own unique story. It’s incredibly dramatic. And above all, the lighting effects during the opening are spectacular.”

So, while the ticket prices remain competitive to some extent, a fan’s perspective doesn’t end there. They want the thrill, the drama, and the buildup, something that RIZIN is able to provide. But there is a reason for it, as another fan mentioned… “UFC hosted 42 events in 2025 (not including DWCS), and RIZIN did 8. Not really a fair comparison.”

UFC runs far more events in a year, making it tougher to maintain that same level of spectacle every time as the fans wish for. However, provided that it is a brand that needs to capture audiences, it might be better for Dana White and Co. to come up with plans that help them continue to grow the promotion.