The rivalry between A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire will have a next chapter.
McKee, the Bellator featherweight champion, will put his title on the line in an immediate rematch against “Pitbull” that will headline Bellator 277 on April 15 at SAP Center in San Jose. A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Wednesday following a report from The Orange County Register.
McKee (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) and Freire (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA) fought in the Bellator 263 main event last July when McKee took Freire’s title in the featherweight grand prix final.
McKee wobbled then finished the Brazilian with a standing guillotine choke less than two minutes into the fight to become the new champion. Neither fighter has fought since that title bout.
The 26-year-old McKee is undefeated in his professional MMA career. He holds notable wins over Freire, Darrion Caldwell, Derek Campos, and Pat Curran.
“Pitbull” entered the bout with McKee on a seven-fight winning streak in which he became both the Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion. He relinquished his 155-pound title this past fall, which gave way for his brother, Patricky, to win it in a vacant title bout against Peter Queally at Bellator 270.
