Is Antonio McKee MMA’s Most Unapologetically Boring Fighter?

What you see here is Antonio McKee’s snoozefest of a fight against Carlo Prater at last night’s MFC 22, which also saw Travis Lutter nab a decision over Jason MacDonald and John Alessio knock out Luigi Fioravanti.  This was McKee’s fifth straight decision victory.  The last time he won by a different method was when Gabe Rivas hurt his knee midway through their bout and it was ruled a TKO.  McKee hasn’t lost a fight in over six years, but he also hasn’t finished anyone (not counting the injury to Rivas) in over eight years.  This is what McKee does.  He takes people down, does just enough to avoid a referee stand-up, and takes as few chances as possible.  He wins, but he also puts fans to sleep.  And the worst past about it?  He doesn’t care.

In an interview with MMA Fanhouse, McKee not only claimed to be the best wrestler in MMA and the best 155-pound fighter in the sport (said McKee: “At 155 I’d kick B.J. [Penn’s] butt and everybody knows it that knows me”), but he also said, as he has numerous times, that he doesn’t “give a shit about the fans.”   

I don’t think anyone — especially not Michael Schiavello or Guy Mezger, from the sound of things — would disagree with that last part.  And while I’m forced to respect something about a fighter who keeps at it even though he knows absolutely nobody wants to see him in action, I also can’t understand how he thinks he deserves these people’s money. 

If McKee doesn’t want to entertain, that’s fine.  But promoters should stop paying him to fight.  This is a sport, but it’s also entertainment.  That’s why people are paying for it.  McKee thinks it ought to be enough to win by any means.  It isn’t.  That’s why no one gives a damn about his winning streak but him. 

Please, promoters of the world.  You know what you’re getting when you book this guy.  You’re not only giving him money for something he isn’t delivering, you’re knowingly setting your crowds up to be disappointed.  Let McKee stay in his gym and wrestle all night for the pure love of competition if that’s what he wants.  But don’t make paying spectators sit through it.