5 Things You Might Not Know About A.J. McKee

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A.J. McKee (13-0) is a featherweight fighter who competes in Bellator MMA. The unbeaten prospect faces his toughest test to date on May 11, when he is paired opposite two-time Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran at Bellator 221.

As fight day looms, here are five things that you might not know about the pugilist known as “Mercenary.”

His father was also a fighter.

“The Mercenary” is the son of Antonio McKee, a retired mixed martial artist that fought 37 bouts during his decade and a half in the sport. His father compiled a 29-6-2 record while competing in the lightweight division for a number of organizations including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dream, World Fighting Alliance and King of the Cage.

These days McKee Sr. devotes much of his time to his gym Team Bodyshop, where he is the head trainer. In addition to his talented son, the up-and-coming facility boasts Emanuel Newton and rising prospect Bubba Jenkins.

He has the longest win streak in Bellator history.

Despite being just 24, he has the longest winning streak in the promotion’s history. It was back in 2015, following an eight-bout tenure in the amateur ranks, that McKee signed with Bellator. To date “The Mercenary” has won 13 professional bouts, all of which have been under the Bellator umbrella. Seven of the prospect’s victories have come in the first round.

His father came up with his nickname.

According to McKee, one day his father asked him what he would be doing if he were not competing in MMA. McKee Jr. replied, “I thought I would be in the Marines being a contract killer or something.” That led to his father coming up with the moniker of “The Mercenary,” and it has stuck ever since.

He set his heart on being a fighter from a young age.

McKee has been around the sport since childhood due to his father being a fighter and trainer. When talking of his formative years, he reveals MMA-themed memories of growing up, including the time when Rampage Jackson came to his father’s gym to train.

From a young age, McKee believed that his destiny was to be a professional pugilist. In one interview when asked about why he became a fighter, McKee said, “[It’s in my] blood. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

However, he admits that his father was not initially keen on his young son following in his footsteps. McKee Sr. was quick to point out the hardships entailed with the profession.

He’s very confident.

McKee can come across as a somewhat arrogant individual due to his unflinching confidence in his combat abilities and his insistence that he is Bellator’s featherweight champion in waiting. According to McKee, he has two personas: his everyday friendly self and “The Mercenary.” The latter is a man vocal in promising violent ends to his bouts and always delivers on his promises.

An avid fan of guns and cars, McKee has aspirations of making substantial money from his fights. He has even stated that he plans to become the Floyd Mayweather of the sport. However, despite his materialistic ambitions, the unbeaten combatant understands the importance of being humble in the gym.