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Bellator has locked down one of its brightest stars for the foreseeable future. The promotion announced that AJ McKee has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the organization on Tuesday.
Bellator president Scott Coker expressed his enthusiasm to continue working with McKee, a Bellator-lifer who went from debutant to world champion.
“Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with AJ I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the Bellator cage,” Coker said in a press release. “It’s also our priority to retain top talent, and with AJ entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the Bellator brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future.
“I am looking forward to AJ’s next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix, which showcases the best 155-pounders in the world.”
McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion, is expected to take part in a planned Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix also involving reigning lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. McKee is currently ranked No. 2 in the featherweight division, No. 3 pound-for-pound and No. 8 at lightweight. He is coming off a win over reigning Rizin lightweight champion Roberto de Souza on New Year’s Eve.