American fighting champion AJ McKee to defend his world title in a rematch against Bellator's GOAT, reports say
- AJ McKee and Patricio Freire are tipped to fight in the Bellator MMA cage once again.
- That's according to multiple reports, citing a possible April or May date.
American fighting champion AJ McKee will defend his world title against Bellator MMA GOAT Patricio Freire in a high-stakes rematch, according to multiple reports.
The rematch "is in the works for April," MMA journalist Ariel Helwani wrote in his Substack newsletter Tuesday.
MMA Fighting added that "a date in May is also a possibility for the bout."
Insider spoke to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, who did not deny the rumors. The source said contracts are "not signed" yet, though.
McKee and Freire fought six months ago in arguably the most significant Bellator MMA bout ever.
It was the culmination of a gripping featherweight grand prix, with McKee — one of the sport's most talented young stars — reaching the final against Freire, a highly-accomplished veteran who Bellator boss Scott Coker once described as the greatest fighter in his company's history.
Insider described the fight at the time as a potential passing-of-the-torch, akin to Teofimo Lopez beating Vasiliy Lomachenko in boxing in 2020, or Conor McGregor leathering Jose Aldo in 13 seconds in 2016.
For McKee, it was the most sensation win of his career as he spectacularly finished "Pitbull," backflipped off the cage, and declared his stardom had only just begun. He also earned a million-dollar check.
Now, they may well do it all again as it remains one of the most significant fights Bellator can put together, while allowing the former two-weight champion Freire, 34, a shot at revenge against the young dog McKee, 26.
It is unclear where the rematch could take place, but the first fight last July was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Usman also fought on the Bellator 263 card, defeating Manny Muro in a lightweight match with a knee to the body.