AJ McKee calls out Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title
AJ McKee is wasting no time in calling out new lightweight king Usman Nurmagomedov.
In typical Bellator fashion, the promotion is rumored to be setting up a lightweight Grand Prix with eight fighters all battling it out for the 155lbs gold. Contender AJ McKee has revealed who he'd like to take on first if he's involved in the tournament.
In his final bout at featherweight, 'Mercenary' lost his title when the judges sided with Patricio 'Pitbull' and gave the Brazilian the win on the scorecards. Despite being 1-1 with the South American, the 27-year-old decided to move up to lightweight and began putting together a title run.
While discussing the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix during a recent interview, AJ McKee insisted that if it was up to him, he'd be matched up against Usman Nurmagomedov in the first round in order to get his hands on the belt:
"I want my title, man. Usman [in the first round] then. Look, when I signed up for the 145lbs tournament, I proved myself the entire way through the tournament. I told everybody I'm gonna finish everybody, so stepping into another tournament, I have to prove myself again? I mean, I have no problem doing that."
McKee further stated that he's comfortable facing anyone:
"I got one goal. If I could have had 'Pitbull' in the first round, I'd have took him out in the first round. For me, it really doesn't matter who it is, I'm just looking forward to going in there, putting on a great show, and claiming what's mine."
In a dominant showing last time out, Usman Nurmagomedov dismantled Patricky 'Pitbull' and became the first-ever Dagestani to win a championship under the Bellator banner. Despite only having the title for a month, the Russian is already a target for a number of fighters.
Check out what McKee had to say about a potential clash against the Sambo specialist in the video below:
AJ McKee's Bellator future
Although he is intent on entering the lightweight Grand Prix and coming away with Bellator gold, AJ McKee has publicly announced his interest in facing a number of UFC athletes.
Wanting to prove that he's the best in the world, the well-rounded Bellator starlet has his eyes set on a future clash against Alexander Volkanovski, the man who holds UFC featherweight gold and is ranked #1 in the UFC's pound-for-pound list.
Another possible matchup that intrigues AJ McKee is jiu-jitsu wizard Brian Ortega. While there's no ill will between the two, the Bellator ace admitted that he was submitted by 'T-City' in a grappling session and wants to get it back.