Tag: A.J. McKee

PFL releases full fight card for Battle of the Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Check out the full fight card headlined by Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira.

PFL is pegging Battle of the Giants to be one of its biggest events of the year – and now a full fight card has been revealed.

On Thursday, the promotion announced its finalized 10-fight lineup including a handful of notable names as new additions. The event takes place Oct. 19 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the main card on ESPN+/DAZN pay-per-view.

In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] returns to MMA after a two-fight boxing stint to take on [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag]. In the co-main event, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] finally meet in a highly-anticipated showdown.

Also on the main card, Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defends his title in a rematch vs. [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] meets [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] in a lightweight bout.

The new additions announced Tuesday include a main card clash between [autotag]Husein Kadimagomaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Zafar Mohsen[/autotag], as well as a rescheduled bantamweight bout between [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcos Breno[/autotag].

Additional bouts include [autotag]Makkasharip Zaynukov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dedrek Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Ibragim Ibragimov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nacho Campos[/autotag], [autotag]Mostafa Nada[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ahmed Sami[/autotag], and [autotag]Youssef Al Housani[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Taha Bendaoud[/autotag].

The full PFL: Battle of the Giants lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (4 p.m. ET)

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
  • Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
  • Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards – for Bellator middleweight title
  • Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen
  • Paul Hughes vs. A.J. McKee

PRELIMINARY CARD (1:30 p.m. ET)

  • Marcos Breno vs. Raufeon Stots
  • Dedrek Sanders vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov
  • Nacho Campos vs. Ibragim Ibragimov
  • Mostafa Nada vs. Ahmed Sami
  • Youssef Al Housani vs. Taha Bendaoud

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes official for PFL: Battle of the Giants on Oct. 19

A pivotal lightweight clash between A.J. McKee and Paul Hughes is official for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

A pivotal lightweight clash is official for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

[autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] will get a big opportunity when he meets former Bellator champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, promotion officials announced Thursday morning.

Winner of his past four in a row, McKee (22-1) is coming off a submission win over PFL standout Clay Collard at the PFL vs. Bellator event in February.

Hughes (12-1) made good in his debut after PFL’s acquisition of Bellator when he defeated Bobby King in the in the Bellator Champions Series: Dublin co-main event in June. The former Cage Warriors featherweight champion is on a six-fight winning streak.

With the addition, the current PFL pay-per-view lineup on Oct. 19 includes:

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
  • Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
  • Paul Hughes vs. A.J. McKee

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Usman Nurmagomedov sees A.J. McKee as top contender for Bellator San Diego title winner

Usman Nurmagomedov thinks a Bellator lightweight title fight with A.J. McKee is next if they both win their upcoming fights.

The number of viable title contenders in Bellator’s lightweight division seemingly are few at the moment, but [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] sees one logical and significant matchup on the horizon.

Before Nurmagomedov (17-0) can think about defending his 155-pound strap against anyone else, he first must get through Alexandr Shabliy in Saturday’s Bellator Champions Series: San Diego headliner, which takes place at Pechanga Arena and streams on Max.

If Nurmagomedov gets the job done, though, and maintains his undefeated record, he thinks the rightful top contender is [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], who is a former featherweight champion and one of the most decorated fighters in Bellator history.

McKee (22-1) reportedly is expected to face Paul Hughes at PFL: Battle of the Giants on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and if he wins that, then Nurmagomedov thinks he will be poised for a chance to win a Bellator title in a second division.

“I think if he’s healthy and he’s ready, I think it’s going to be A.J. McKee,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “He’s a tough guy. I think he’s going to win (against Hughes), and then next fight, I think it’s going to be A.J. McKee vs. Usman Nurmagomedov.”

Ryan Bader, Patricio Freire and Joe Warren are the only Bellator fighters to hold belts in two weight classes. Several others have tried and failed over the course of company history, and McKee could be next on the list.

Given their family names and success in MMA competition, a matchup between Nurmagomedov and McKee is seemingly one of the most significant matchups and attractions that could be made in the Bellator lightweight division.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

Reports: A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes targeted for PFL pay-per-view on Oct. 19

A lightweight bout pitting former Bellator champ A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes is headed for the PFL’s pay-per-view event this fall.

The PFL’s return to pay-per-view is starting to take shape.

The promotion is targeting a lightweight bout between former Bellator champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and Irish standout [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] for the Oct. 19 event.

The news of the bout was first reported by MagicM MMABets on X and later confirmed by MMA Fighting, which cited multiple sources.

Last week, PFL announced that Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira would headline the pay-per-view, with Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco serving as the co-main event.

This will be the second fight for McKee (22-1) since the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator. He last fought in February when he submitted PFL standout Clay Collard at the PFL vs. Bellator event. McKee is currently on a four-fight winning streak since his only professional loss to Patricio Freire in 2022.

Hughes (12-1) fought recently at a Bellator Champions Series event. He defeated Bobby King in June to improve his winning streak to six in a row.

With the addition, the current PFL pay-per-view lineup on Oct. 19 includes:

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
  • Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
  • Paul Hughes vs. A.J. McKee

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PFL vs. Bellator: Champions live and official results

Check out the full results of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions which takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions took place Saturday and MMA Junkie provided coverage of live and official results throughout the entire card.

The event featured PFL fighters vs. Bellator fighters at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Champions of both promotions clashed in the main and co-main bouts. The main event was a heavyweight bout between PFL’s [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] and Bellator’s [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag]. Middleweights battled in the co-feature as PFL’s [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] took on Bellator’s [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag].

The 11-fight event featured several notable names including [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag], [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag], and the pro debut of Muhammad Ali’s grandson [autotag]Biaggio Ali Walsh[/autotag].

Check out the official results, details and highlight clips from each bout below.

A.J. McKee def. Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions: Best photos

Check out these photos from A.J. McKee vs. Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s submission victory over Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions video: A.J. McKee taps Clay Collard with triangle armbar in 70 seconds

A.J. McKee only needed 70 seconds to tap Clay Collard with a slick submission to open the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions main card.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] racked up a win for the Bellator side in just over a minute to kick off the main card of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

The lightweight bout took place on the main card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and ended rapidly thanks to a beautiful submission chain from McKee (22-1), who wrapped up Clay Collard early. At 1:10 of Round 1, Collard (24-12) was forced to tap from a triangle armbar.

When the action started, it didn’t take long for McKee to jump on a guillotine attempt. The initial submission appeared very deep, but somehow Collard worked his way free.

However, the threat wasn’t over there, as McKee smoothly transitioned into a triangle attempt. The submission chain continued when McKee added an armbar to the mix, and that would be the hold that forced the tap, as the look of frustration was all over Collard’s face.

Check out video of the finish below (via X):

The result marked four consecutive wins for McKee, who entered on the heels of wins over Spike Carlyle, Roberto de Souza, and Sidney Outlaw.

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Up-to-the-minute results of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

A.J. McKee excited to showcase boxing vs. Clay Collard, promises ‘nothing but non-stop action’

Coming off a lackluster performance in his last fight, A.J. McKee says he’s ready to let his hands go against perhaps the best boxer in PFL.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] wants to test his boxing skills against arguably the best boxer in the PFL.

On Feb. 24, McKee (21-1) returns to the cage to face Clay Collard in the first event since PFL acquired Bellator late last year. McKee wants to make a statement by not only defeating Collard but also beating him at in the striking department.

“With Clay Collard, we already know what kind of his weakness is. It’s the wrestling, the jiu-jitsu, but I think this is more of an opportunity for me to go out there and showcase my skills of boxing,” McKee told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s a boxer, and he likes to come in. He likes to throw a lot of body punches and kind of get that gritty, banger-type fights, so for me, it’s don’t play his game, play my game.”

McKee is coming off a lackluster unanimous decision win over Sidney Outlaw in November. He sees Collard as the perfect partner to redeem himself.

“Clay Collard is a banger. He’s going to come in and throw his hands,” McKee said. “I wasn’t too happy with my last performance. Obviously, I was on my back 12 of the 15 minutes, so this is a fight where I’m able to go out there and let my hands go.

“I know he’s going to stand in front of me and try to walk me down. It’s going to be a fun fight, and I can’t wait for this fight. Like I said, it’s the people’s main fight, and that’s what I look forward to giving them: Three, five-minute rounds of nothing but non-stop action.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator.

A.J. McKee ready to lead charge to set Bellator fighters apart in PFL

Although the Bellator brand has been around longer, one of its biggest stars thinks he and his colleagues might be overlooked by the PFL.

Although the Bellator brand has been around longer than the PFL by quite a bit, one of its biggest stars thinks he and his colleagues might be getting looked at as the proverbial red-headed stepchildren.

Later this month in Saudi Arabia, Bellator’s champions and standouts will take on their PFL counterparts in the first event after PFL purchased Bellator from Paramount. Former Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] will take on Clay Collard, who reached the PFL’s $1 million lightweight final this past November, but fell short.

But because the PFL bought Bellator, McKee thinks there’s a misperception out there.

“It’s Bellator vs. PFL for the other champions, but at the end of the day, it’s A.J. McKee vs. Clay Collard,” McKee told MMA Junkie Radio. “Clay said ‘PFL acquired Bellator,’ so there’s a big chip on these (PFL) guys’ shoulders already. But at the end of the day, us Bellator fighters – we’re coming for business.

“At the press conference, it showed – we’re all suited and booted. These (PFL) guys are comfortable having fun, dressed up in f*cking movie football jerseys and stuff. We’re coming for business, at the end of the day, and I think that’s the difference that’s going to set us apart when it comes to fight night.”

McKee, who will turn 29 in April, wrapped his Bellator career at 21-1. All 22 of his pro bouts have been under the Bellator banner. After he beat Patricio Freire to win the featherweight title in 2021, he lost it to him in a rematch nine months later.

But he made the move to lightweight and is 3-0 in the weight class with decision wins over Spike Carlyle, Roberto de Souza and Sidney Outlaw, which came at Bellator 301 in November – Bellator’s final event before the sale to the PFL.

McKee said even though he was a big-time homegrown star for Bellator, he might have to win over some new fans in the PFL era.

“It’s a new organization. PFL knows of me. Their fans don’t really know about me,” McKee said. “So for me, I see it as an opportunity to go out there and show them what I’m really about and showcase my skills to them. I’m not really worried about it. I felt it was an honor to be able to fight on not only the last Bellator show, but now the first collaboration show, as well. I think that just goes with my accolades, my achievements and the type of fighter that I am. I think they know what they’re going to get: They’re going to get a good fight.”

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.