'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABiAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBAgQABREhBgcSIwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQURAQABBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMEUQUREiEx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDMTOpJFojkk3ssKSCBbjtgiAjmqpEepfquG6xne91URrr02WOEkrgxDHeNqmKknx7eqZc7yiYTK0pRw2TdhCcxGS9PcRN/Gq+djWZ+MEQNSR17Sv/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AJ McKee Jr. hopes to fight RIZIN again in the future.
Everything went right for ‘Mercenary’ on December 31. The 27-year-old was chosen to represent Bellator in a cross-promotional event with RIZIN. McKee Jr. went against Roberto Souza in the main event, where the former Bellator champion secured a unanimous decision win. During the post-fight media interview, the California native had this to say about using the RIZIN ruleset:
“Man, that was so fun. I don’t know if it’s something I can do every fight, but it’s definitely something I enjoyed a lot. I look forward to doing it again. Hopefully RIZIN enjoyed the show. Hopefully they bring me back, and we can do it again for a title.”
McKee Jr. was enthusiastic about using the RIZIN ruleset because of the similarities to PRIDE. The former Bellator champion took advantage of soccer kicks and found success with the ring. Between walking out as a samurai and fighting freely, it’s safe to say ‘Mercenary’ enjoyed fighting in Japan.
Watch AJ McKee Jr's post-fight media interview below:
AJ McKee Jr. shows respect to Roberto Souza by calling him ‘a warrior’
Although most MMA fans were unfamiliar with Roberto Souza, the Brazilian is a dangerous fighter, especially on the ground. AJ McKee Jr. took all fifteen minutes but emerged victorious in the Bellator vs. RIZIN main event. During the post-fight media interview, McKee Jr. had this to say about ‘Satoshi’:
“Man, he’s a warrior. He’s one tough dude. He kept throwing that triangle, trying to pull me down. I felt like he was trying to drag me into deep waters to drown me. Luckily, I’m a good swimmer.”
Bellator vs. RIZIN featured five matchups between the promotion’s best fighters. Bellator swept the board with McKee Jr. defeating Souza, Patricio Pitbull defeating Kleber Koike Erbst, Koyiji Horiguchi defeating Hiromasa Ougikubo, Juan Archuleta defeating Soo Chul Kim, and Gadzhi Rabadanov defeating Koji Takeda. All five fights went to a decision.
McKee Jr. recently beat Spike Carlyle in his lightweight debut after losing his featherweight title to Pitbull. "Mercenary" has a massive opportunity waiting in 2023. Bellator is expected to hold a lightweight Grand Prix, and the 27-year-old has punched his ticket.
