Things went zero to 60 at the
#Bellator263 presserWatch @PatricioPitbull
vs. @ajmckee101
in the
#BellatorFWGP final SATURDAY on @Showtime:
https://t.co/eXPmkdlk5J.
pic.twitter.com/DIW9LJEC93— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports)
July 29, 2021
Weigh-ins were not just a formality ahead of Bellator
MMA‘s tentpole event this weekend. Bellator MMA returns to Saturday night for one of the promotion’s
biggest cards of the year, one topped by a heavily anticipated
featherweight title fight between Patricio
Freire and A.J. McKee.
Both men in the
Bellator 263 main event did make weight, but McKee had to hit
the scales twice after initially coming in .2 pounds above the
championship limit. Every other competitor on the card made weight,
but one bout was pulled off after Justin
Barry did not pass his medicals. Daniel
Compton weighed 189.6 pounds for their 190-pound catchweight
contest, and he will receive his show money as a result.
Freire (32-4), who holds the promotion’s featherweight and
lightweight titles, is on an impressive seven-fight win streak. The
Brazilian won the first round of the Bellator featherweight world
grand prix by defeating Juan
Archuleta by decision, and has since dominated his opponents
moving along the bracket, knocking out Pedro
Carvalho and submitting Emmanuel
Sanchez both in under four minutes. “Pitbull” officially
stepped on the scale weighing 144.5 pounds.
McKee (17-0) went from a hopeful featherweight prospect to bonafide
contender in his tournament run. Keeping his undefeated record
intact by knocking out Georgi
Karakhanyan in the first round, McKee went on to submit both
Derek
Campos and Darrion
Caldwell to reach the finals. The undefeated son of Antonio
McKee will look to win his first belt against Freire. “Mercenary” officially weighed 145 pounds for the title bout.
Bellator 263 will air live on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Prelims will air live on YouTube starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m.
PT.
Bellator 263 Weigh-in Results:
Patricio
Freire (144.5) vs. A.J. McKee
(145)
Mads
Burnell (145.5) vs. Emmanuel
Sanchez (145.3)
Luis
Muro (156) vs. Usman
Nurmagomedov (155.3)
Islam
Mamedov (154.9) vs. Brent
Primus (155.2)
Christopher
Gonzalez (155) vs. Goiti
Yamauchi (155.5)
Ilara
Joanne (125.2) vs. Vanessa
Porto (125.6)
Daniel
Carey (149.1) vs. Gadzhi
Rabadanov (149)
Khasan
Magomedsharipov (144.6) vs. Jonathan
Quiroz (146.1)
Johnny
Cisneros (179.2) vs. Joshua
Jones (179.6)
Kiefer
Crosbie (155.9) vs. Georgi
Karakhanyan (155.6)
Brian
Moore (135.8) vs. Jordan
Winski (135.6)