Patricio Pitbull and AJ McKee will be in the Bellator cage again that night. The two are set to step into the cage at Bellator 286, though the rivals won’t be facing each other this time around. Pitbull is set to defend his featherweight championship against Adam Borks in the main event while AJ Mackey will make his lightweight debut against Spike Carlyle in the co-feature. The event will take place in Los Angeles on October. 1.
Pitbull, also a former lightweight champion, defeated McKee at Bellator 277 to win the featherweight title for the third time. He improved his record to 18-0 as a career.
Burkes is 18-1 in his career. Since losing to Darion Caldwell in January 2020, Burks has rattled off four straight decision victories. His most recent outing was a unanimous decision over Mads Burnell in March.
“I’m excited to fight in my second home, Los Angeles. I love this place,” Pitbull told CBS Sports HQ on Wednesday. “Adam Burks is a very talented guy and I’m excited to fight him. He’s a kickboxer, but in his last fight, he showed he’s more complete. I know it’s a big win for me. Will be.”
All of McKee’s professional fights have taken place in the Bellator cage, where he established himself as one of the top 145-pound fighters in the world. He made a run at the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix, eliminating every opponent along the way, including his title-winning performance against Pitbull.
Now, after suffering the first loss of his career, McKee is turning his attention to a new division, jumping up 10 pounds to lightweight. He faces Carlyle, a fighter who has competed for the UFC and Rizin in addition to the Bellator cage.
Carlyle rode a five-fight winning streak into the fight with McKee, all of which have come by stoppage.