On the same night, Patricio Pitbull and AJ McKee will square off in the Bellator cage once more. The two will fight in the cage at Bellator 286 but not directly against one another this time. In the main event, Pitbull will defend his featherweight title against Adam Borics, and in the co-feature, AJ McKee will make his lightweight debut against Spike Carlyle. On October 1, the tournament will be held in the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California.
In his most recent fight, Pitbull—also a previous lightweight champion—defeated McKee to claim the featherweight championship for the third time. Prior to this match, McKee defeated Pitbull in less than two minutes via submission to win his first title and raise his record to 18-0.
For his career, Borics is 18-1. In the four months since his defeat to Darrion Caldwell in January 2020, Borics has racked up four straight decisions wins. His most recent performance was a unanimous Mads Burnell decision in March.
“I can’t wait to battle in Los Angeles, my second home. This place is amazing, “According to Pitbull on Wednesday, CBS Sports HQ. “I’m eager to compete against Adam Borics since he is a really talented man. Despite being a kickboxer, he proved to be more complete in his most recent battle. I’m confident that will be a significant victory for me.”
In the Bellator cage, where he developed into one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world, McKee has fought in every one of his professional bouts. He swept the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix, defeating every opponent along the way, including Pitbull, who he defeated to earn the title.
After his first defeat of his professional career, McKee is now switching to a new weight class by moving up to lightweight. Along with the Bellator cage, he fights Carlyle, a combatant who has competed for the UFC and Rizin.
McKee and Carlyle are both coming into the fight with winning records of five straight decisions.