Exclusive – AJ McKee touts himself as ‘Different breed’ for Paul Hughes ahead of PFL clash: ‘He seems arrogant’
Former Bellator MMA featherweight champion, AJ McKee maintains his confidence of handing Irish star, Paul Hughes his first-ever professional loss ahead of their PFL showdown this weekend in the Middle East — claiming that he is a “different breed” than the highly-touted prospect.
McKee, a former undisputed featherweight champion under the banner of Bellator MMA, most recently featured back in February against Clay Collard, turning in a first round armbar submission win over the UFC alum in Riyadh in the beginning of the year.
Extending his winning run to four straight fights to boot, McKee also has beaten each and every opponent he has shared the cage with during his time in mixed martial arts, firstly stopping Patricio Pitbull in their Grand Prix finale back in 2021 with a stunning guillotine choke submission win on home soil.
As for former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, Hughes, the highly-touted Irish favorite featured at the Bellator Champions Series in Dublin earlier this year, landing a second round knockout win over Bobby King in the Irish capital.
And touted for big things ahead of his PFL outing with featherweight star, AJ McKee this weekend in Riyadh, Hughes has been described as a fighter trying to steal the hype by the former, who insisted there were likely levels between their abilities.
AJ McKee describes Paul Hughes as “arrogant” ahead of PFL battle
“Yeah, he (Paul Hughest) wants to steal the hype, but like I said, I’ve had more finishes than he’s had fights,” AJ McKee told LowKick MMA reporter, Timothy Wheaton ahead of his clash this weekend in the PFL. “There’s a different level to this. When that door locks, it’s just him and me—records don’t matter in that moment.
“You gotta sell the fight and make it entertaining for the fans. He believes in himself, but I’m just a different breed. I think the promotion’s done an amazing job putting on the biggest MMA cards, and if they keep going, the sky’s the limit.”
“In my journey, I always had respect for Patricio, and I don’t feel it’s the same with Paul. He seems a little headstrong and arrogant, but that’s my personal opinion. Once we’re locked in the cage Saturday, though, it’s just him and me in there. All the smack talk goes out the window.”
