Patricio Pitbull vs. Adam Borics, A.J. McKee lightweight debut set for Bellator 286

By Josh Evanoff - August 3, 2022

Patricio Pitbull, Adam Borics, and A.J. McKee have been added to Bellator 286 in October.

Patricio Freire, Bellator, Josh Thomson

In April, the Brazilian faced off with ‘Mercenary’ for the second time. They first faced off at Bellator 263 in July 2021, with the Bellator featherweight title on the line. That outing saw McKee capture the strap with a stunning first-round submission victory.

In their rematch nearly a year later, the former champion flipped the script on the 27-year-old. Pitbull made the bout a tactical affair and brought the fight into deep waters. After 25 minutes of action, the Brazilian re-captured his title by unanimous decision.

Following the fight in April, Bellator president Scott Coker revealed a third fight was likely on tap. It made sense, as they were still the top two contenders at 145-pounds. However, as first reported by CBS Sports HQ, it seems the promotion is going in a different direction.

In the main event of Bellator 286 in October, Patricio Pitbull will defend his featherweight title against Adam Borics. ‘The Kid’ is currently riding a four-fight winning streak to earn his first crack at gold. He was last seen in March, as he captured a unanimous decision win over Mads Burnell.

However, the card will also feature the former featherweight champion in action. A.J. McKee will face UFC veteran Spike Carlyle on the undercard. The bout will be the first time that the 27-year-old has fought at lightweight. He previously teased he would move up if he defeated Pitbull in April.

AJ-McKee-Patricio-Pitbull

PhotoCred: Orange County Register

As for his opponent, ‘The Alpha Ginger’ is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. Carlyle was last in action in April at RIZIN 35, defeating Koji Takeda via submission. The unranked lightweight will get the biggest fight of his career thus far in October, as he faces McKee.

What do you think about these Bellator fight announcements? Sound off in the comment section below!


Topics:

A.J. McKee Bellator Patricio "Pitbull" Freire