Bellator 263 is set to go down this Saturday night (July 31, 2021) inside The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif., featuring promotion’s Featherweight Grand Prix Finale, which began back in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Making it to the finals are none other than current division champion, Patricio Freire, who will take on undefeated A.J. McKee (17-0) for the $1 million prize, as well as the division strap. McKee, a home-grown talent for Bellator who has spent his entire career with the promotion, racking up 17 straight wins in just five years for the promotion, including 12 stoppage victories. On his way to the finals, McKee defeated Georgi Karakhanyan, Derek Campos and Darrion Caldwell.
Winner of seven in a row, Freire keeps trucking along as the poster boy for the promotion, as well as its lone “champ-champ,” holding the Lightweight title to go along with his spot as the 145-pound kingpin. “Pitbull” defeated Juan Archuleta, Pedro Carvalho and Emmanuel Sanchez on his way to earn a spot in the finale, which couldn’t have been scripted better for the promotion.
Before the two men duke it out for bragging rights, a title and a life-changing payday, Bellator released its “Countdown” video for what is undoubtedly the most-anticipated bout for the promotion of the year.
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