AJ McKee Calls For Huge Title Fight Against Usman Nurmagomedov
Bellator sensation AJ McKee has called for a huge fight against Usman Nurmagomedov.
Throughout the history of Bellator, there have been very few better homegrown talents than AJ McKee. He started his career in the promotion, and he’s still there to this day. Following on from his reign as UFC featherweight champion, McKee has since moved to lightweight – putting together four straight wins.
This weekend at PFL: Battle of the Giants, AJ McKee will attempt to overcome a tough challenge in the form of Paul Hughes. While he’s considered by many to be the favorite, some wonder whether or not we could see an upset in Saudi Arabia.
Either way, as noted by McKee during a recent media scrum, he has one clear focus – Usman Nurmagomedov and the Bellator lightweight championship.
AJ McKee wants Usman Nurmagomedov
“Honestly, one of the biggest fights either promotion could put on is Usman and me. He’s a second-generation fighter under Khabib, and I’m another second-generation fighter with my father’s background. There are a lot of similarities between Khabib and my dad—great wrestling, great ground-and-pound. I think that’s where the heat is.”
“As soon as possible. Early next year, whenever. I saw him in San Diego, and Khabib walked by and said, “See you in Dubai.” So, possibilities are there. But I can’t look past Paul Hughes—still, I know what it takes to be where I want to be.”
AJ McKee is an unbelievably talented fighter and while he’s still growing, he’s already accomplished some incredible things throughout the course of his career. If he can defeat Hughes in convincing fashion, it’ll certainly feel like he’s done enough to earn his shot.
For Usman Nurmagomedov, it’d serve as a really fascinating challenge. He’s known for being a dominant competitor in his own right but given the size, prowess and well-rounded ability of AJ McKee, it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
With that being said, Paul Hughes will be more than happy to spoil the party.
