Undefeated Bellator featherweight champion, AJ McKee, believes that a move to the UFC could be inevitable.
McKee spoke with journalist Ariel Helwani on the latest edition of his show The MMA Hour ahead of the rising star's rematch with former two-division Bellator champ, Patrício "Pitbull" Freire, in the main event of tomorrow night's Bellator 277 card, and discussed what winning a UFC title would mean to him, as well as who he'd like to face in his hypothetical Octagon debut.
“It’s always been a dream of mine and a goal of mine to own a UFC title,” McKee said (h/t MMA Fighting). “Just as a kid I grew up watching ‘Rampage’ [Quinton Jackson]. As a kid in the gym, that’s the first UFC belt I ever saw. Owning a UFC belt one day, it’s going to happen. It’s inevitable. It’s an achievement and an accolade that I would love to have under my belt. Being champ-champ there as well. Maybe, I get that [Michael] Chandler red carpet treatment, come in and beat somebody up in the top three real quick and then go straight into a title fight. Beat [Alexander] Volkanovski up real quick one time for the one time but my dream fight’s [Max] Holloway. That’s the dream fight.”
He also continued on to discuss his current contractual status with Bellator and explained that if the promotion can't give him $1 million per fight, then ultimately it could be a sign of their partnership ending soon.
“Possibly, if we can’t come up with the million dollars, then yeah [this could be it],” McKee said. “Also that’s the thing. Every time I fight, my numbers are going to double because I want to be back paid for the fights that I haven’t. It’s business. I’ve got families to feed. I look forward to having children of my own someday. This is how my father eats. It’s generation after generation. This ain’t no new story for us. Can’t stop me but you can slow me down a little bit.”
Like I said today, somebody call them, or ask them.
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) April 12, 2022
We are happy to have a fight with them anytime. pic.twitter.com/mPMcXX7q6K
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