Former champion AJ McKee re-signs with Bellator MMA on a six-fight, multi-year contract

McKee has competed as a Bellator fighter for all 21 of his professional fights and will continue to do so

Bellator has locked down one of its brightest stars for the foreseeable future. The promotion announced that AJ McKee has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the organization on Tuesday.

McKee has spent his entire professional career as a Bellator fighter, from his 2015 debut to securing his 20th pro win as a Bellator representative against Rizin lightweight champion Roberto de Souza. McKee's contract was up for renewal after his win over Spike Carlyle in October. McKee fielded offers from other organizations before signing a new six-fight deal with Bellator.

"I was given the option to go and scope out other places and see what I'm worth," McKee told CBS Sports. "I said, 'Yo, I found a couple on the table here.' They were like, 'You know what? Screw that. Let's make it happen. What are we going to do?' My father, my team and I sat down and we figured out what was reasonable and right.

"I don't give a shit about clout. Clout don't pay bills. For me, being homegrown in Bellator and my whole career being here, I was excited to stay. I didn't really want to go anywhere else."

Bellator president Scott Coker expressed his enthusiasm to continue working with McKee, the former Bellator featherweight champion.

"Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with AJ I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the Bellator cage," Coker said in a press release. "It's also our priority to retain top talent, and with AJ entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the Bellator brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future.

"I am looking forward to AJ's next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix, which showcases the best 155-pounders in the world."

McKee takes part in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix against former lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull at a time yet to be determined. McKee is currently ranked No. 2 in the featherweight division, No. 3 pound-for-pound and No. 8 at lightweight.