McKee open to competing in 2025 PFL season: 'Don't see why not'
AJ McKee would happily oblige if the PFL wants to include him in next year's lightweight tournament.
A former Bellator featherweight champion, McKee was one of many fighters the PFL brought over in 2023 after it acquired Bellator and merged the two rosters.
McKee didn't compete in the 2024 season, as he's been prominently featured on the promotion's two pay-per-view cards instead. The 29-year-old is scheduled to return to action at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, taking on Irish prospect Paul Hughes in a potential No. 1 contender bout.
"Possibly," McKee said of competing in the 2025 PFL season in an interview with theScore. "I don't see why not. For me, it's either or. I don't mind being on the biggest cards like this. It just depends on whatever the organization is wanting to do."
In the PFL, fighters can take their careers in various directions - primarily, fighting under the season format or under the Bellator brand.
The appeal of the PFL season is the $1-million grand prize awarded to each tournament champion.
"That's what everybody wants, is that tournament," McKee said. "I think that's a big opportunity for a lot of these guys to be able to have not only one but two platforms to showcase their skills on and to be able to potentially win $1 million at any time."
However, McKee said his top priority entering 2025 is to become a champion again, and he sees that happening quicker under the Bellator banner.
McKee captured the Bellator featherweight title in 2021 against Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, a victory that set him up to be one of the biggest stars in the promotion. But McKee dropped the belt in an immediate rematch the following year. McKee moved up to 155 pounds after the first defeat of his career and has won four in a row.
McKee said if he beats Hughes, he wants to face Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov above anything else.
"We could be doing another show in Riyadh, another champs versus champs, but in order to do so and for me to be on that card, I have to become a champion," McKee said. "So I think definitely the next fight is Usman Nurmagomedov. Just become a champion again to be able to do those champ versus champs and stay on these big cards."