A.J. McKee wants to test his boxing skills against arguably the best boxer in the PFL.
On Feb. 24, McKee (21-1) returns to the cage to face Clay Collard in the first event since PFL acquired Bellator late last year. McKee wants to make a statement by not only defeating Collard but also beating him at in the striking department.
“With Clay Collard, we already know what kind of his weakness is. It’s the wrestling, the jiu-jitsu, but I think this is more of an opportunity for me to go out there and showcase my skills of boxing,” McKee told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s a boxer, and he likes to come in. He likes to throw a lot of body punches and kind of get that gritty, banger-type fights, so for me, it’s don’t play his game, play my game.”
McKee is coming off a lackluster unanimous decision win over Sidney Outlaw in November. He sees Collard as the perfect partner to redeem himself.
“Clay Collard is a banger. He’s going to come in and throw his hands,” McKee said. “I wasn’t too happy with my last performance. Obviously, I was on my back 12 of the 15 minutes, so this is a fight where I’m able to go out there and let my hands go.
“I know he’s going to stand in front of me and try to walk me down. It’s going to be a fun fight, and I can’t wait for this fight. Like I said, it’s the people’s main fight, and that’s what I look forward to giving them: Three, five-minute rounds of nothing but non-stop action.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator.
A.J. McKee excited to showcase boxing vs. Clay Collard, promises ‘nothing but non-stop action’