If you were looking to create the perfect prospect in MMA, A.J. McKee would be a great starting point. An extensive amateur record, his first two professional fights taking place in Bellator and growing up with a father as a fighter. At 20 years old, McKee has the knowledge of a veteran, the speed of a youngster, and the confidence of a champion.
“My grandpa was a great fighter, my dad was a great fighter. It’s just in my blood. We’re just warriors man,” McKee told Bloody Elbow.
His father, Antonio McKee, has fought in professional MMA bouts since 1999, amassing a record of 29-6-2 while fighting for organizations like the UFC, WSOF, MFC and King of the Cage. McKee says that he has a distinct advantage over other fighters because of his father’s time in the sport.
“My dad knows best and he’s been through it all. We definitely butt heads all of the time, but he’s already been there and done that already.” McKee says.
“I’ve watched the entire first generation of greats like Rampage, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. They’ve all been in my dad’s gym and they’ve all trained with him. It’s watching them, seeing their lifestyle. Seeing the pro and cons, what to do and not do.”
When it comes to young fighters that reach their potential and become a star, Jon Jones is the poster boy. Having fame and fortune at a young age can distract any fighter from their task at hand. For Jones, it resulted in a DUI, a positive cocaine test and most recently a hit and run that resulted in his title being stripped.
McKee says that the same won’t happen to him if he were to reach superstar status. Oddly enough, the Long Beach native has already experienced the high life, the downfall, and the humbling aftermath.
“I went through a lot of tribulations and what not, from wrecking $80,000 cars to sleeping on the floors. I was living in a high-rise building and driving a CLS 550. All of that has been swept away cause I was letting it get to my head.”
Mckee acknowledges that this type of lifestyle is far behind him, and that his religious beliefs and his father will help keep him in line from now on.
“There’s just something that clicked. Now that I see the big picture, I’m like, alright you can have all of that. All I have to do is just stay focused.”
With that focus, McKee wants to accomplish as much as possible in a short amount of time. He has his sights set on the champions of Bellator and the UFC.
“By the end of 2016, I want that gold strap around my waist. After that, to be one of the greatest of all time. I strive for the best. If it’s not the best then I don’t want them. You could ask me who’s in my weight class. Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, Patricio Pitbull, Daniel Straus and that’s it. That’s all I know right there.”
McKee’s next step to reaching those lofty goals is to put on an exciting performance against John Donaldson at Bellator 147. The fight card takes place this Friday on Spike TV and features Josh Thomson against Pablo Villaseca.