A.J. McKee believes he matches up with Usman Nurmagomedov on the ground
No.2-ranked Bellator featherweight and former champion A.J. McKee feels like he could match up with lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in the wrestling and grappling department.
The American fighter from Long Beach, California said that he wanted to 'test' the Bellator lightweight champion on episode 320 of the Weighing In podcast with Josh Thomson and John McCarthy.
Skip to 20:45 for A.J. McKee's thoughts on a fight with Usman Nurmagomedov:
A.J. McKee said the following about his potential matchup with Nurmagomedov:
"I think it's the fight that evrybody wants to see. I want to give him a test. I don't fell [like] he's been really tested yet. .. I feel like we match up pretty equally once it comes to wrestling and on the ground. It'd be a fun fight."
"Mercenary' won the Bellator Grand Prix featherweight championship in 2021 at Bellator 263. However, he lost the title to Patricio Pitbull in his very next fight and first title defense at Bellator 277 in April 2022.
McKee last fought Spike Carlyle at Bellator 286 in his lightweight debut, where he won via unanimous decision. McKee's only career loss came at the hands of two-time Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull. He has an MMA record of 19-1.
A.J. McKee vs. Usman Nurmagomedov: Which lightweight takes the W?
The 'Mercenary' has had a specular run at featherweight with a 18-1 record in that division. He has 13 finishes in his career with seven submissions and six knockouts. With a move to the lightweight division, it seems inevitable that McKee will meet divisional champion Usman Nurmagomedov. McKee is currently ranked No.8 in the Bellator lightweight rankings.
The question remains - who will win the fight between A.J. McKee and Usman Nurmagomedov?
A.J. McKee is a long and rangy fighter who manages distance effectively with a 73.5 inch reach. He has excellent grappling and scrambling abilities, having won seven of his bouts via submission. In terms of overall experience, McKee has the advantage.
However, Usman Nurmagomedov is a different kind of monster, and it's not surprising that he had a stellar rise towards the lightweight championship. Nurmagomedov has that patented Dagestani wrestling and grappling, while also having excellent striking credentials under the tutelage of Javier Mendez at the American Kickboxing Academy.
In 16 fights, Nurmagomedov has 13 finishes, with eight knockout wins and five submission victories. The Dagestani MMA fighters at AKA seem to have carved out their own niche fighting style, with a deadly combination of superior grappling and crisp striking.
The bout between Nurmagomedov and McKee has the potential to go down as one of the greatest fights in Bellator lightweight history.