Japan’s New Year’s Eve MMA events have drawn massive audiences for decades and remain a cornerstone of their sports culture. Former RIZIN announcer Joe Ferraro once said these shows offer more than just a night of fights. Legendary matchups and a unique atmosphere reflect Japan’s long-standing passion for combat sports and entertainment.
PRIDE FC, once a major rival to the UFC, began the New Year’s Eve tradition at Saitama Super Arena. The promotion regularly staged major tournaments and marque bouts. Many fighters who competed on those cards later entered the UFC Hall of Fame.
RIZIN revived the tradition in 2015. The promotion has hosted a New Year’s Eve event at the same venue every year since.
RIZIN will host Super Powerhouse Festival at Saitama Super Arena this year. The card features a featherweight title fight between Razhabali Shaidulloev and Mikuru Asakura. Lightweight champion Satoshi Souza will also defend his title against Ilkhom Nozimov.
Ferraro compared the significance of Japan’s New Year’s Eve MMA events to the NFL‘s Super Bowl. He said the appeal reaches beyond the fights.
“As we know, people not only look forward to the game but they look forward to the commercials. Why? It’s the highest rated programming in North America,” Ferraro told VIBE 105.5FM Toronto in 2022.
Ferraro said the annual New Year’s Eve event plays a major role for RIZIN and for advertisers seeking wide exposure.
“That’s when advertisers and sponsors and marketers spend their dollar. You got to put your commercial on during the Super Bowl. that’s the highest rated show throughout the year. In Japan, that’s New Year’s Eve,” Ferraro said. “You want to be able to put on the biggest event, biggest programming, biggest type of entertainment on New Year’s Eve when you’re in the Land of the Rising Sun.”
Ferraro Says RIZIN Build Event Schedule Around New Year’s Eve
Joe Ferraro also said RIZIN typically build its annual schedule around their New Year’s Eve card. This long-term approach allows the promotion to secure top fighters and create highest-profile matchups. RIZIN uses its Grand Prix tournaments to support this strategy.
This year’s card features the flyweight Grand Prix finals. Hiromasa Ougikubo will face Yuki Motoya for the vacant flyweight title. Former champion Kyoji Horiguchi vacated the title before returning to the UFC.
“[Japanese MMA promotions] always stack up those cards on New Year’s Eve,” Ferraro told VIBE 105.5FM Toronto. “Whenever they have a Grand Prix, it starts earlier in the year, sometimes in April, and they work their way to the finale of any Grand Prix on New Year’s Eve.”
Alexander Soldatkin was originally scheduled to face Ryan Bader for the inaugural RIZIN heavyweight championship. However, the bout was later canceled after Bader suffered an injury.
RIZIN Super Powerhouse Festival Marks Important Milestone
RIZIN Super Powerhouse Festival marks a key moment for the promotion. The event celebrates 10 years since RIZIN held its first show. The anniversary reflects the promotion’s steady growth in global MMA.
Many fighters have used RIZIN as a launch point for their careers. Several went on to major promotions. Notable examples include Kai Asakura, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, and PFL heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.
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