CHICAGO – A.J. McKee’s been waiting awhile to get a big name on the Bellator roster to agree to a fight.
The Long Beach, Calif. native has fought in the Bellator cage 13 times since making his pro debut in 2015, and he’s won 13 times.
Only three of those 13 have Wikipedia pages.
Eventually, you’ve got to take on real competition, and that’s why McKee is truly respectful and appreciative toward the opponent he’ll fight on Saturday night, Pat Curran.
Curran is the former Bellator featherweight champion. He’s still a tough out and brings a three-fight winning streak into the bout.
So while McKee wants to go out there and knock Curran’s head off in their fight, he wants everyone to know he appreciates that a name foe has finally signed on the dotted line.
“I feel like I’m just the new wave, the new generation of the sport,” McKee said at the recent Bellator 221 news conference. “I’m looking forward to going out there and fighting Pat, you know? That’s the man that’s stepping in front of me. That’s the champion that’s stepping up to me. He’s the one with the accolades, he’s the true champ who stepped up. I appreciate Pat for the fight, thank Pat for taking the fight and I look forward to going in there and doing what I do best.”
McKee believes a championship is his destiny, and a win over Curran plays a big role in helping him get there.
“It’s just a matter of time,” McKee said. “I’m going to continue doing what I do best and that’s take one name out at a time and right now Pat Curran is on the list. Only reason why is that [featherweight champion] Patricio [Freire] won’t sign that contract. You got someone 13-0 in my division knocking people out left and right. That’s one fight, I’ve been calling his name since my first fight.”
But a potential title shot won’t happen without the opportunity to prove himself worthy, and for that, McKee is glad to have that chance.
“I’ve been watching Pat for years, man,” McKee said. “Honestly I’ve been watching a lot of these guys for years. It’s just an honor to be up here and just be able to compete with these guys at this level and set the bar. That’s what I want to do I want to outdo everyone.”
Bellator 221 takes place Saturday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
For more on Bellator 221, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
