Bellator 263: The Patricio Freire and A.J. McKee formula is trending toward the perfect fight recipe

LOS ANGELES – It’s being dubbed by many as the biggest fight in Bellator history, and Thursday’s pre-fight news conference led a trail of evidence.

As the promotion’s longtime featherweight king, Patricio Freire, and built-from-the-ground up prospect A.J. McKee ascended upon the stage, the fight already sold itself.

It took 25 minutes for the bickering to begin, but when it did, things exploded. Although the two fighters were restrained after they nearly came to blows, the shot in the arm of hype and anticipation only boosted up a matchup with all the makings of an elite showdown.

For “Pitbull” Freire (32-4 MMA, 20-4 BMMA), the Brazilian double champion thought to be by many the promotion’s all-time greatest, his accomplishment list is endless. Despite being on Bellator posters for the past decade, this fight is at the top of his list in terms of legacy.

“It’s one of them,” Freire said. “I fought with several guys that were very tough, too. I beat Michael Chandler, and that was revenge for me because of all that sh*t. But now I have the opportunity to show my talent.”

As for McKee (17-0 MMA, 17-0 BMMA), who made his professional debut in Bellator back in April 2015, the second-generation MMA talent has talked for six years about how one day he’d be champion. Saturday, he has that opportunity.

“I’m ready,” McKee said. “It’s been 22 years of preparation that I’ve prepared for this moment. All of my training my entire life has been built up for this moment. Nerves? Nah, I’ve been on big stages since I was a kid, wrestling at Reno worlds in front of thousands of people. I think he thinks I’m nervous, but I think that’s him trying to self-reflect a little bit and push his little self on me.”

The biggest fight in Bellator history between two homegrown talents could result in the biggest star in promotional history. Former lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who lost to Freire, created massive buzz when he signed with the UFC and knocked out top-ranked Dan Hooker.

While MMA math doesn’t always make sense in terms of who will win and lose, it does play into fight promotion. It’s quite possible that the winner of Saturday’s title tilt will enter unfamiliar star power territory the likes of a homegrown Bellator fighter has never seen.

Usually it’s the champion who has everything to lose in a title fight, but McKee sees an abnormally high opportunistic ceiling that comes with preserving an undefeated record.

“There’s a lot on the line being undefeated,” McKee said. “Like I said, there’s definitely an extra ‘0.’ It’s not just the six on that check that I’m fighting for, but that extra ‘0’ on my record. (I want to) live up my legacy and continue my father’s legacy and be a champ. I look at his poster every day. He’s the champ. Now, it’s time for me to get my belt.”

Bellator 263 takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.