AJ McKee is back in action at Bellator 197 and the fighter will look to keep his professional MMA record perfect when he meets UFC veteran Justin Lawrence at the event.
The last time fans saw McKee in the cage was when he defeated Brian Moore in the main event of Bellator 187, which was the first time the competitor headlined a Bellator MMA card.
?A little bit (of pressure headlining his first Bellator card), in that first round, I came out hard. The second round?I kind of took a little (adrenaline) dump. That third round, I just knew, I was like ?man, I?m in Ireland and this is his (Moore?s) hometown and their (the fans) screaming ole ole.? I kept laughing every time they did that, I don?t know why I found it funny. I knew I had to dig deep and finish that fight, I didn?t want to leave it in the judges hands and let is go to that scorecard,? McKee says in an exclusive interview with Fightful?s James Lynch.
McKee wouldn?t let the fight get to the judges scorecards because he finished Moore with a submission in the third round.
A lot of MMA alumni such as former UFC Women?s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey and UFC veteran Matt Riddle have crossed over into pro wrestling, but fans could also see McKee make that leap one day as well.
?We never know man, it could be wrestling or it could be movies. It might be a lot of stuff on that table. I?m just so young in my career and my life, there?s just so much I could think of doing, that I want to accomplish. Its just a matter of time and being patient and taking one stepping stone at a time. That next stepping stone is Justin Lawrence right now,? says McKee.
Bellator 197 takes place on Friday, April 13 from the Family Arena in St. Louis, Missouri with Brent Primus and Michael Chandler headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on the Paramount Network.