Spike Carlyle plots Bellator 286 upset of A.J. McKee to enter lightweight title picture
LOS ANGELES – When Spike Carlyle first found out about fighting A.J. McKee, he was surprised. But now, with Bellator 286 almost upon him, “The Alpha Ginger” believes the matchup was meant to be.
“Oh yeah, 110 percent,” Carlyle told MMA Junkie during Wednesday’s media day. “I think this was ordained by a higher power for this to happen.”
Carlyle (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) gets the honor of welcoming former featherweight champion McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA) to lightweight in the Showtime-televised co-main event of Saturday’s card at Long Beach Arena. McKee, 27, is making his 155-pound debut after losing the 145-pound title to Patricio Freire in his last fight, which also served as the first loss of his 19-fight career.
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Carlyle, a three-fight UFC veteran, has been on a five-fight winning streak since leaving the UFC in 2020. The way he sees it, a win over McKee puts him right right where he wants to be – square in the title picture at 155 pounds.
“I think once I win this fight, this puts me in title contention,” Carlyle said. “If they do a grand prix, I’m sure my name will be in the hat. … Maybe they’ll give me preferential treatment, and I’ll get to fight for the title in my first fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.
