A.J. McKee is extremely confident heading into the Bellator MMA featherweight Grand Prix final against the defending champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire tomorrow night.
Following the mayhem at Bellator 255, Freire cemented his status as one of the top featherweights in the world. While this was known in many circles of the mixed martial arts world, slowly the name “Pitbull” is becoming a household name as the Brazilian continues to lay waste to whoever the promotion puts in front of him. However, now on the eve of the featherweight Grand Prix finals, perhaps the champion has found a worthy adversary in A.J. McKee.
A.J. McKee Preparing For Wild Fight Against Pitbull
On the other hand, Mckee earned his spot in the finals with a captivating performance. In fact, it left much of the world in awe as no one was quite sure what to call the submission McKee locked in against Darrion Caldwell.
In particular, the young athlete pulled off a modified neck crank but he did so while on the bottom and from guard. In the end, McKee and Freire will meet after the featherweight champion slept Emmanuel Sanchez in a rematch with a rear-naked choke in the first round at Bellator 255.
“(Freire) went out there and did his job, you know?” A.J. McKee told reporters at the Bellator 255 post-fight news conference. “(It’s) nothing I didn’t expect. He went back to his bread and butter. He rocked Sanchez a little bit and saw an opportunity as he said. He got around that neck and that was it.”
Overall, it appears that McKee was happy that “Pitbull” got the job done against Sanchez. After all, with McKee’s sterling record of 17-0, surely the young star is eager for a game opponent to solidify his name among the hardcore fanbase.
The top-rated featherweight has big plans ahead, but getting past Freire is difficult because the Brazilian’s power striking affords no mistakes. Granted, the champion has been stopped before and there is no doubt “Pitbull” will bring a furious pace after such a fast victory at Bellator 255, but the advantages that McKee has mentioned will be pivotal in developing a viable game plan to win against one of the most successful champions in the promotion’s history.
Who do you believe will win the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix finals tomorrow night at Bellator 263? Do you think the defending champion “Pittbull” will fend off the unbeaten A.J. Mckee? Let us know below!
