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Mixed Martial Arts

Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. A.J. McKee: The Big Fight Preview - everything you need to know

DAZN

30, Jul

The growing bad blood between Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and A.J. McKee will detonate Saturday night when they finally step into the cage in what could be the most important fight in Bellator history.

That's when Freire will look to defend his featherweight world championship against the undefeated McKee in the main event of Bellator 263 in Inglewood, Calif. In addition to the title, the Featherweight World Grand Prix final will decide who walks away with a cool $1 million in tow.

“This is one of the biggest fights of my career," Freire said during Thursday's press conference before the fighters insulted each other's families to boil over the tension. "I have fought several guys that were very tough too. I beat Michael Chandler, which was revenge for me. Now is a new opportunity to show my talent.”

The 34-year-old Brazilian, who's also the Bellator world lightweight champion, reached the final of the Featherweight World Grand Prix by defeating Juan Archuleta via unanimous decision and Pedro Carvalho via first-round KO.

McKee, 26, booked his spot in the final by finishing Georgi Karakhanyan via first-round KO and Derek Campos with a third-round submission (armbar).

“All my training in my entire life has been built up for this moment," said McKee on Thursday. "I’ve been on big stages since I was a kid. He thinks I’m nervous, but I think that’s him trying to self-reflect and push his little self on me."

DAZN has been tracking all the big news ahead of "Pitbull" vs. McKee at Bellator 263, and our coverage can be found here.

Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee coverage

Pitbull vs. McKee weights

Patricio "Pitbull" Freire hit the scale at 144.5 pounds during Friday's official weigh-in. McKee followed by registering 145.2 pounds and was given up to 90 minutes to shed that 0.2 pounds and make the main event official. He took 15 minutes and returned to weigh in at 145 pounds exactly.

Pitbull vs. McKee odds

The odds between the champion and undefeated challenger are ultra close. BetMGM has given McKee -105 odds, meaning a $105 bet would land you $100 if he defeats "Pitbull." Freire is listed at -115, spelling that a $115 bet would net you $100 if the world champ retains the featherweight title.

When is Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee? Date, start time

Date: Saturday, July 31
Prelims: 7 p.m. ET
Main card: 10 p.m. ET
Main event (approx.): 12:00 a.m. ET

The prelims for Bellator 263 launch at 7 p.m. ET, before the main card kicks off at 10 p.m. ET. From there, "Pitbull" and McKee are expected to make their walks to the cage at around midnight although that depends on the length of the earlier fights.

What channel/stream is Pitbull vs. McKee?

Showtime

The Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee main card can be watched on Showtime or live streamed via Showtime's app or website. Check the Showtime website for any geographical restrictions in your country.

Where is the Pitbull vs. McKee fight?

Quite arguably the most significant fight in Bellator history will take place live from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Both "Pitbull" and McKee opened up their Featherweight World Grand Prix run with respective wins at the venue back in September 2019 prior to the worldwide pandemic.