AJ McKee will be a Bellator fighter for the foreseeable future.
The 27-year-old has been in Bellator since his pro debut in 2015 and has become of the faces of the promotion. Yet, many had thought he would eventually leave Bellator to sign with the UFC but that appears to be off the radar for now.
On Tuesday evening, Bellator announced they re-signed AJ McKee to a multi-year, multi-fight deal. Along with that, Scott Coker announced that McKee will be a part of the lightweight grand prix in 2023.
Scott Coker on AJ McKee
“Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with AJ [McKee] I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the BELLATOR cage,” said President Scott Coker in a press release. “It’s also our priority to retain top talent, and with AJ entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the BELLATOR brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to AJ’s next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 BELLATOR Lightweight World Grand Prix, which showcases the best 155-pounders in the world.”
AJ McKee (20-1) last fought on New Year’s Eve on the RIZIN vs. Bellator card where he scored a decision win over Roberto de Souza. He’s currently on a two-fight winning streak after defeating Spike Carlyle by decision in his lightweight debut after losing a decision to Patricio Pitbull to lose his featherweight title.
McKee became the Bellator featherweight champ in July of 2021 when he submitted Pitbull in the first round in the finals of the featherweight grand prix. The fan-favorite also holds notable wins over Darrion Caldwell, Derek Campos, Brian Moore, Pat Curran, and Georgi Karakhanyan. As of right now, it is uncertain when his next fight will be or who he will face.
