The Bellator featherweight grand prix final is set, and it’s the matchup everyone wants to see as champion Patricio Freire will defend his title against undefeated A.J. McKee later this summer.
Traditionally, UFC fighters are considered the “best in the world” because of the reputation that’s attached to mixed martial arts’ biggest and most successful promotion, but at 145 pounds, at least, there’s a sincere debate to be had when you consider the rise and recent performances of both Freire and McKee.
Freire, who’s ranked No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, is also the Bellator lightweight champion and the owner of a seven-fight winning streak, with three of his past four by first-round finish. McKee, meanwhile, has climbed all the way to No. 5 as he’s run his record to a perfect 17-0, all with Bellator. UFC fighters Alexander Volkanovski (champ, No. 1), Max Holloway (No. 2) and Brian Ortega (No. 4) round out or top five. The two champions, Volkanovski and Freire, have engaged in a bit of trash talk over who’s truly No. 1.
With that in mind, our question on this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique”: Can the “Pitbull”-McKee winner be considered the best featherweight in the world? John Morgan, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and Brian “Goze” Garcia weighed in.
You can watch their discussion in the video above, as well as the full episode below.
