Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix Finals is set to take place in the summer of 2021 between the champion Patricio Pitbull and the challenger AJ McKee on July 31.
The two-division champion Patricio Pitbull will defend his featherweight belt against the finalist of their featherweight division tournament. The location for the event, which will air on Showtime, has yet to be determined. Pitbull is also the lightweight champion and he won the belt by defeating Michael Chandler. He made his way to the 145-pound tournament final by defeating Juan Archuleta, Pedro Carvalho, and Emmanuel Sanchez. He hasn’t lost in six years and has some notable wins over Daniel Straus and Daniel Weichel and Michael Chandler.
In the first round of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix tournament, Freire defended his Featherweight Championship against Juan Archuleta at Bellator 228. In the quarterfinals, Freire successfully secured his Featherweight Championship against Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 252. He fought Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 255 and won the fight in the very first round via submission.
McKee has only gone the distance six times as a professional fighter. He is undefeated in Pro MMA with an amazing record of 17-0. McKee faced Georgi Karakhanyan in the opening round of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix and won the fight via knockout just 8 seconds into the first round. In the quarterfinals, McKee defeated Derek Campos at Bellator 236. He won the bout via third-round submission to advance in the tournament. McKee submitted Caldwell in the first round by securing an unconventional neck crank from the bottom, thus moving on to the Featherweight Grand Prix final.
A.J.Mckee says he is the fighter in Bellator
The Bellator featherweight contender A.J.Mckee takes on Bellator two-division champion Patricio Pitbull Freire later this summer in the final of the featherweight grand Prix. He is full of confidence that he can surely win the fight and prove that he is the best fighter in Bellator history.
“Hands down (I should be the best fighter in Bellator history),” McKee told MMA Junkie. “When you look at a diamond and it hasn’t been cut yet, it’s not the most pretty thing. I think people are finally warming up to me and I’m kind of chiseling that diamond and making it shine a little bit now.
“He’s definitely hands down one of the best in Bellator, but I’m one of the best in the world and that’s the difference. After beating him and doing it the way I’m going to do it, it’s going to show people what I’m capable of. I’ve always said it: I’m the best in the world, so let’s test myself with the other best in the world. So after Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ let’s unify these belts. Let’s put the belts together and test the best with the best – and I guarantee you that ‘0’ is not going to go.”
What do you guys think of this matchup?
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