All AJ McKee needed was a chance. And at Bellator 263, he delivered.
McKee nearly knocked out Patricio Pitbull in the first minute of their main event fight Saturday night, settling for an incredible standing submission of the champion.
With the win, McKee won both the Bellator featherweight title and the grand prix, walking away with a giant check and two belts in the process.
“We are just getting started. This is only the beginning. When it first started and they were selecting the bracket, I wanted the third or fourth pick,” McKee said. “But God told me that I am number one so when I picked that first draw, I knew that I was number one and now I am. Mentality is the key. You have to put the work in and my dad always says, hard work beats talent.”
McKee improved to 18-0 with the win, which came in just 1:57 of the first round. The loss dropped Pitbull to 32-5, though he remains the Bellator lightweight champion.
In the co-main event, Mads Burnell upended No. 2 ranked Emmanuel Sanchez, earning a decision victory. Burnell is now 15-3 overall.
“About Emmanuel Sanchez, and this ain’t some post-fight bull where I talk up my opponent. He is one tough dude. This guy is straight up gangster,” Burnell said. “I am tired of hearing that I am only a submission expert. I can box, too. The plan was with Sanchez to walk him down. To go to him and use my shoulder roll and when he changed his angle, take his butt down. He’s a dog. You think you have him and then he gets energy from someplace, I don’t know where.”
In another featured bout on Showtime, Usman Nurmagomedov remained unbeaten, as the Khabib Nurmagomedov-trained fighter finished Manny Muro in the opening round.
“I wanted to make statement in this fight… I wanted to show that I could wrestle, and I could grapple. I can take the fight anywhere it goes,” he said. “That I am not just striking. I showed that tonight.”
Bellator 263 Results
#1-AJ McKee (18-0) defeated C-Patricio Pitbull (32-5) via submission (guillotine) at 1:57 of round one
#8-Mads Burnell (15-3) defeated #2-Emmanuel Sanchez (20-5) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Usman Nurmagomedov (13-0) defeated Manny Muro (12-7) via TKO (punches) at 3:30 of round one
Islam Mamedov (20-1-1) defeated Brent Primus (10-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
#5-Goiti Yamauchi (26-5) defeated Chris Gonzalez (6-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:53 of round one
#10-Vanessa Porto (23-9) defeated Ilara Joanne (9-6) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2) defeated Daniel Carey (7-5) via KO (punch) at 3:57 of round one
Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0 defeated Jonathan Quiroz (4-4) 4:21 of round two TKO (strikes)
Joshua Jones (11-5) defeated Johnny Cisneros (13-8) via TKO (strikes) at 4:15 of round two
Georgi Karakhanyan (31-11-1) defeated Kiefer Crosbie (8-3) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:25 of round one
Brian Moore (14-7) defeated Jordan Winski (11-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)