Bellator 263 saw a shocking end to the much anticipated main event as the unbeaten featherweight prospect AJ McKee dethrones the long-reigning champion Patricio Friere.
The rivalry between Pitbull and AJ McKee was intense coming into the fight at Bellator 263. Both fighters exchanged heated words during the press conference, which led the fans to anticipate an exciting clash in the main event.
However, AJ McKee did what he predicted and finished the fight in round 1 in style. The fight started with McKee controlling the octagon and taking the center of the cage, which is unusual territory for Pitbull.
Patricio Friere likes the push the pace and put pressure on his opponents. However, McKee put pressure on Pitbull by controlling the cage and he made Pitbull think by controlling the distance with a couple of leg kicks. While Pitbull was still trying to figure out a way to close the distance and land his shots, McKee caught Pitbull with a stunning head kick and hurt him badly.
The fight and moment lived up to the hype, despite being short.
This is the moment and the fighter Bellator has been waiting on for years now. He has finally arrived. pic.twitter.com/oldNJNxTWx
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 1, 2021
Also Read: What went wrong for Pitbull against AJ McKee at Bellator 263?
There was a confusing moment when the referee did not stop the fight as McKee went for the ground and pound. But, in the end, McKee got the biggest win of his career with a standing guillotine.
With this win, AJ McKee has secured his 18th professional MMA win and he is certainly one of the biggest stars in Bellator now with a million-dollar win at Bellator 263.
Pitbull has been a dominant champion in Bellator with title wins in two different divisions. And a win over him does bring a lot of credibility to AJ McKee’s career.
Jake Paul reacts to AJ McKee shocking the world at Bellator 263
Following Bellator 263, the MMA world showered praises on AJ McKee. But the response from Jake Paul caught the attention of the fans as he claimed that AJ McKee would beat Conor McGregor from 2015.
AJ McKee would kill 2015 McGregor
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 1, 2021
Conor McGregor is arguably one of the most dominant forces in the history of the UFC featherweight division. He ran through the entire UFC featherweight division and won the world title by beating Jose Aldo in 13 seconds. It’s not insane for fans to compare the run of McKee with McGregor’s from back in the days.
Besides, AJ McKee’s win over Pitbull, the fans also witnessed impressive performances from Usman Nurmagomedov, Mads Burnell, and Khasan Magomedsharipov. Overall it was a huge night for Bellator with AJ McKee winning the featherweight Grand Prix finale in a spectacular fashion.