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Back in 2014, AJ McKee was a member of the CCCAA State Championship team and won the 149-pound state title. Not long after winning that title, he declared himself as a professional mixed martial arts fighter and made his professional debut four months later. Fast forward seven years and McKee is now the Bellator Featherweight champion after defeating defending champion Patricio Pitbull in 1:57 in the finals of the Bellator Grand Prix Championship Tournament. The win also netted McKee the $1 million prize.
McKee, seeded #1 in the tournament, defeated three other fighters to reach the finals, which took place at The Forum on Saturday, July 31. McKee, who holds the Bellator record of 18 consecutive wins (18-0) stunned Pitbull early in the first of five 5-minute rounds with a kick to the head. The stunned Pitbull then took several shots to the head, with and uppercut by McKee sending him to the mat. McKee, who thought Pitbull was out, started to celebrate, but realized the fight wasn't over. He stepped in and locked a guillotine choke that resulted in a submission, the first of Pitbull's career.
"All of my dreams are coming true," said McKee after the fight. "It's amazing, but this is just the beginning."
McKee, who now famously wrote himself a check for $1 million when he was a kid, earned that by posting the win and capturing the tournament championship and Featherweight belt.
Coached by his dad Antonio (pictured, left), a two-time undefeated state champion for the Falcons in 1988-89, the younger McKee has followed in his father's footsteps. From 1999 until as recently as 2019, he posted a 30-6-2 record and in 2009 captured the Maximum Fighting Championship at 155 pounds. In the 2019 fight, he was on the same card as AJ, which marked the first time that had ever happened.
While at Cerritos, McKee (pictured, right with the Falcons) posted a 28-1 record, which culminated in him winning the state title at 149 pounds.
"Mentality is the key," stated McKee. "You gotta put in the work. My dad always tells me that hard work beats talent."