FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION PATRICIO PITBULL MEETS AJ McKEE IN THE BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS WITH ONE MILLION DOLLAR PRIZE ON THE LINE
BELLATOR 263 TAKES PLACE AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY, JULY 31 – LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
TICKETS FOR THIS MASSIVE EVENT GO ON SALE TOMORROW AT BELLATOR.COM
LOS ANGELES — And then there were two…
What began with 16 featherweight athletes vying for a one-million-dollar grand prize and the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship has been narrowed to the greatest BELLATOR athlete in the history of the promotion Patricio Pitbull (32-4) and the company’s best-ever homegrown fighter in No. 1 ranked AJ McKee (17-0).
The culmination of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix takes place Saturday, July 31 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and marks the company’s first domestic event hosted away from “The Fightsphere” since February 2020.
BELLATOR 263: Pitbull vs. McKee airs live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, June 18 at BELLATOR.com and Ticketmaster.com with a pre-sale taking place on Thursday.
“This is without a doubt going to be the biggest BELLATOR fight of all time,” said BELLATOR President Scott Coker. “AJ McKee has been calling for a shot at Pitbull’s title since his very first professional victory inside our cage six years ago. Now he’s finally getting the opportunity to realize his dream of becoming a world champion against the winningest fighter in BELLATOR history. For Pitbull a win over McKee in this tournament final would be a statement piece to add to his long list of accolades and legacy as the best 145-pounder on the planet.”
One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable record of 32-4 with wins over elite competition including the likes of Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, Daniel Weichel (x2) and most recently a second triumph over Emmanuel Sanchez, the 33-year-old stands alone as the featherweight king. Additionally, he was able to capture the Lightweight World Championship in a 2019 contest opposite Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. With 23 finishes in 36 professional fights, Pitbull has shown time and time again that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.
With a perfect record of 17-0, AJ McKee has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut at the ripe age of 20-years-old. With an even six knockouts and six submissions, the now-26-year-old McKee has shown a knack for securing finishes—and fast—with nine coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every man who has opposed him including former champions Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted most-recently with a rare modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” Finally, the Long Beach native will face the man he has called for since signing with BELLATOR, as he takes on Patricio Pitbull in the much-anticipated Featherweight World Grand Prix Final.
The preliminary portion of the event streams live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, as well as Pluto TV and features former featherweight title challenger and No. 2 ranked Emmanuel Sanchez (20-5) versus Denmark’s No. 8 ranked Mads Burnell (15-3), a bantamweight tilt between No. 3 ranked Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov (18-1) and No. 4 Raufeon “Supa” Stots (16-1) and a lightweight affair pitting undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov (12-0) against Manny Muro (12-6).
BELLATOR 263: Pitbull vs. McKee Main Card:
Saturday, July 31 – Live on SHOWTIME
10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Featherweight World Title Main Event: C-Patricio Pitbull (32-4) vs. #1-AJ McKee (17-0)
Preliminary Card:
BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Featherweight Bout: #2-Emmanuel Sanchez (20-5) vs. #8-Mads Burnell(15-3)
Bantamweight Bout: #3-Magomed Magomedov (18-1) vs. #4-Raufeon Stots (16-1)
Lightweight Bout: Usman Nurmagomedov (12-0) vs. Manny Muro (12-6)
*Card subject to change.
Please visit BELLATOR.com for additional information.
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About BELLATOR
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About SHOWTIME
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
About the Forum
The Forum Presented by Chase, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment. The Forum delivers a one-of-a-kind experience for artists and fans alike thanks to its superior acoustics, intimate ambiance and state-of-the-art facilities. The interior of the bowl features flexible seating that ranges from 17,500 seats to 7,000 seats, enabling the venue to attract a wide variety of premier events. The Forum regularly hosts the biggest names in music, in addition to award shows, mixed martial arts and boxing, and offers world-class entertainment and service. Fans at the Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers food and beverage options, as well as comfortable furnishings, to further elevate guests’ enjoyment. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, the venue includes nine, star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. For more information, please visit thelaforum.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
BELLATOR
Danny Brener – (818) 577-8215 – DannyB@bzapr.com
C.J. Tuttle – (310) 496-9110 – Christopher.Tuttle@BELLATOR.com
Dan Kitchen – (860) 543-2538 – DanK@bzapr.com
SHOWTIME Sports
Greg Domino – (973) 620-1025 – Greg.Domino@Showtime.net
Leah Capobianco – (917) 574-6985 – Leah.Capobianco@Showtime.net
SCOOP MARKETING FOR THE FORUM
Maxie Solters – (818) 761-6100 – msolters@solters.com