One of the most-highly-anticipated title fights in Bellator MMA history has a date. The promotion recently announced that current Featherweight champion Patricio Freire will face off against A.J. McKee at Bellator 263 on July 31, 2021 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA.
Of course, the title fight will also serve as the final to Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix tournament, which actually started in 2019 but hit a speed bump once COVID-19 put a halt to everyday normal life as we knew it.
“Pitbull” is currently riding a seven-fight win streak and defeated Juan Archuleta, Pedro Carvalho and Emmanuel Sanchez (again) to advance to the finals. The Brazilian bomber hasn’t tasted defeat in over five years and is now widely-considered as the face of the promotion.
As for McKee, he made his way through the dangerous road of the 145-pound division to secure his spot in the finale and first shot at winning a major title by securing victories over Georgi Karakhanyan, Derek Campos and Darrion Caldwell in the tournament. All told, “Mercenary” has gone a perfect 17-0 in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, with all of his fights going down inside the Bellator arena.
The No. 1 ranked fighter in Bellator’s 145-pound division now has the chance to put the cherry on top of an already-impressive resume by taking out the “champ-champ” which will not only give him the title of division and tournament champion, but a whopping $1 million payout.
You know the players, so let’s here how you think this fight plays out in the comments section below.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.