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Dana White Urged to Get Out of His Bubble After RIZIN’s Success
Credit: IMAGO Credit: IMAGO

Dana White Urged to Get Out of His Bubble After RIZIN’s Success

Originally posted on EssentiallySports
By Biplob Chakraborty  |  Last updated Jan 1, 2026 6:06 PM ET

On New Year’s Eve, the UFC remained in preparation mode as they looked forward to starting their Paramount+ CBS era. However, in Japan, the audience was stoked to witness some exhilarating action. On December 31, RIZIN FF went down at the historic Saitama Super Arena, managing to sell out the 37,000-capacity venue. After seeing the surge in crowd numbers, fans believe Dana White should start paying attention.

“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 actually selling out the entire arena? That’s truly remarkable. 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.

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “Wow this is really massive.” And it definitely was massive to see an MMA league pulling such a huge audience to watch athletes clash. Following that comment, another user wrote, “UFC needs to go to Japan.” Well, the UFC CEO has already shown interest in heading to the Land of the Rising Sun at UFC 323 with Joshua vs Tatsuro Taira. But 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?” Now, the price would actually depend on the seats, but another user revealed a rough figure by writing, “$55–$60 USD,” which is definitely a good price. Still, there was no mention of which seats those prices applied to. The UFC’s ticket prices, on the other hand, can range from $20 to even $20,000 depending on the seat.

Another fan then made a really solid point, writing, “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.”

This is where Dana White could take a few notes. Other promotions like RIZIN and ONE have leaned heavily into storytelling when selling fights, something the UFC is arguably lacking a little right now. Still, another user brought up an important fact, writing, “UFC hosted 42 events in 2025 (not including DWCS), and RIZIN did 8. Not really a fair comparison.”

That point is fair, as the UFC runs far more events in a year, making it tougher to maintain that same level of spectacle every time. Still, with the Paramount+ CBS era ahead, hopes remain high for Dana White and his team. That said, as we’re talking about RIZIN, let’s take a look at what went down on New Year’s Eve.

RIZIN FF delivered a full-blown spectacle at the Saitama Super Arena 

 On December 31, Rizin once again found itself under the global spotlight as the promotion wrapped up the year with a 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.

With all that said, it is genuinely impressive to see fans showing this level of appreciation for a promotion like Rizin. The bigger question now is one that bloggers and fans alike are starting to ask. Will the UFC finally return to the land of the rising sun? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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