Former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee has agreed to a new multi-year, multi-fight contract with the promotion.
SI's Justin Barrasso was the first to report the news, with Bellator themselves officially announcing McKee's new deal shortly after via a press release. The 27-year-old Long Beach, California native was entering the final fight on his previous contract. He has become one of the brightest stars in combat sports and is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Rizin lightweight champion, Roberto de Souza, back on New Year's Eve. Bellator President Scott Coker said the following about re-signing McKee and revealed that he will also be competing in the promotion's upcoming Lightweight World Grand Prix.
“Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with AJ [McKee] I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the BELLATOR cage. It’s also our priority to retain top talent, and with AJ entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the BELLATOR brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to AJ’s next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 BELLATOR Lightweight World Grand Prix, which showcases the best 155-pounders in the world.”
These two are complete wizards on the ground...
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022
[ #RIZIN40 #RIZINvsBellator ] pic.twitter.com/fJjuttH8yh
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