Bellator 263 predictions: Who’s picking A.J. McKee to take Patricio Freire’s title?

Check out our staff members’ picks for Bellator 263, featuring a featherweight title fight between champ Patricio Freire and A.J. McKee.

Freire
vs.
McKee
Burnell
vs.
Sanchez
Muro
vs.
Nurmagomedov
Mamedov
vs.
Primus
Gonzalez
vs.
Yamauchi
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 111-66
mckee2021
McKee
(64%)
burnell2021
Burnell
(52%)
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
(96%)
mamedov2021
Mamedov
(65%)
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
(74%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 112-65
trophy copy 2018 Champion
mckee2021
McKee
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 109-68
mckee2021
McKee
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 109-68
freire2021
Freire
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 108-69
trophy copy 2020 Champion
freire2021
Freire
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 107-70
trophy copy 2014 Champion
mckee2021
McKee
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 106-71
mckee2021
McKee
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 106-71
freire2021
Freire
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 105-72
mckee2021
McKee
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
primus2021
Primus
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 105-72
trophy copy 2017 Champion
freire2021
Freire
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
primus2021
Primus
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 104-73
freire2021
Freire
sanchez2021
Sanchez
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 103-74
freire2021
Freire
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 100-77
freire2021
Freire
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 36-25
mckee2021
McKee
burnell2021
Burnell
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov
mamedov2021
Mamedov
gonzalez2021
Gonzalez
BetMGM
Betting Favorites
freire2021
Freire -115
burnell2021
Burnell -125
usmannurmagomedov2021
Nurmagomedov -1100
mamedov2021
Mamedov -200
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi -165

Bellator makes its long-awaited return to the road this week with the featherweight title on the line at the top of the bill.

Bellator 263 takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, lightweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-4 MMA, 20-4 BMMA) puts his 145-pound title on the line against [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (17-0 MMA, 17-0 BMMA) in a fight that doubles as the featherweight grand prix final. It’s nearly a pick’em fight at the betting window, where Freire is at -115 at BetMGM with the comeback on McKee at -105. Not surprisingly, our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are torn in their picks, too – Freire has the smallest possible edge at 7-6.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is a slight favorite at -125 against two-time featherweight title challenger [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA). And like the close picks in the main event, it’s tight here, too. Burnell has a 7-6 lead from our pickers.

Our lone unanimous pick should come as little surprise. [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a massive 11-1 favorite against [autotag]Manny Muro[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), and he’s got a 13-0 shutout in the picks.

[autotag]Islam Mamedov[/autotag] (19-1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a 2-1 favorite against former lightweight champion [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA), and he’s got a big 11-2 picks lead.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Chris Gonzalez[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (25-5 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) at lightweight. Yamauchi is the betting favorite at -165, but Gonzalez bucked the trend with our pickers at 11-2.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, McKee (64 percent), Burnell (52 percent), Nurmagomedov (96 percent), Mamedov (65 percent) and Yamauchi (62 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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