Bellator v Rizin: AJ McKee on his father, being a 'teddy bear' and the Pitbull trilogy

AJ McKee Jr was about 12 years old when he asked his father what would turn out to be a lifechanging question.

Growing up in California, McKee spent a lot of time with MMA legend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and found himself captivated by the former UFC light-heavyweight champion's lifestyle.

"He was a big jokester, a lot like my father - very laid back and a good heart - but you don't wanna see him mad," McKee tells BBC Sport.

"We'd sit in a car he'd made into a limo and during camps he'd go into the gym to train while I'd be sat playing video games.

"We'd go to his house and have barbeques, pool parties, and I was like 'Dad, why don't you have this? We need this life. We deserve this.'"

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McKee's father Antonio was a successful fighter who ended his career in 2019 with a fine record of 30 wins and six defeats.

Despite his sporting success, he never reached the same level of stardom as Jackson, and this is what confused McKee.

Looking back, McKee points to the difference in fighting style between the athletes.

"Rampage is a knockout artist. It was such a new, fast-growing sport and everyone wants to see the knockouts and the finishes," he says.

"My father was a brute - a very high-evel wrestler - and nobody could stop his takedowns, but at the time that wasn't what people wanted to see."

McKee says it used to bother his father when he asked why he did not have the same recognition as Jackson, and this is what initially drove him to pursue his own career in the sport.

On Saturday McKee, 27, will headline a cross-promotional event in Japan between Bellator and Rizin, when he faces Roberto de Souza at lightweight.

Former Bellator featherweight champion McKee is arguably the biggest star in the promotion and will be looking to improve his record of 19 wins and one defeat.

"That's where it became kind of personal with me, like 'I'm going to be your revenge in this sport where they have no choice but to recognise our last name in the industry'," says McKee.

"My dad is my training partner to this day at 52 years old. He's in the gym with me every day so we came up with a style that was entertaining.

"We know I have the wrestling background, so I can get someone to the ground, but it was trying to implement the striking and give fans the entertainment they needed - the knockouts, the submissions."

McKee has spent his entire career in Bellator, fighting 20 times.

'I'm an adrenaline junkie but also a big teddy bear'

Away from the cage, McKee describes himself as an "adrenaline junkie" with a passion for fast cars, shooting and snowboarding, but also a "big teddy bear, loving and softly spoken".

His success enables him to embrace aspects of Jackson's life he admired as a youngster, but he takes a more reserved approach, being conscious of the example he sets for his friends and family.

"When you're a provider you take care of your family and everyone around you and you have to be cognitive of your expenses - that's something my dad kind of made me realise early on," says McKee.

"He said you can dress a certain way, you can show people with the work you put in this is what they can expect, but if they don't put in the work they can't expect it."

Following the sole defeat of McKee's career in a rematch with Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire in April when he lost his title, McKee went through a bout of depression.

"When I heard 'unanimous decision', it was like my whole world crumbled in front of me," says McKee.

"I wasn't really open to anyone about it, you know? My 16-year-old brother has lived with me for around four years now. I wasn't talking to him about anything but he could tell I was hurt.

"I was walking through the house and not saying anything, sleeping all day, and I wasn't able to really verbalise it."

After some self-reflection, McKee opened up to his loved ones and now uses the experience to help others.

"Depression is big right now, post-Covid, and our younger generation took a big impact on their social lives," he says.

"My younger cousin and brother have been through it a bit, so going through something like that myself opened my mind up, and being able to express that to other people and let them know you have people there for you, to verbalise it and reach out...

"I know the first step is hard because you feel vulnerable, but I feel that's the key."

'The Pitbull trilogy needs to happen'

McKee's Bellator rival Freire is fighting in the co-main event on Saturday against Rizin's featherweight champion Kleber Koike.

McKee and Freire have one win each against each other, with McKee winning their first encounter in July last year, and he is targeting a trilogy bout.

"It's only right for his legacy and for my legacy. It's what the fans want and hopefully it's what he wants," says McKee.

"I don't know how he feels about the last fight but I feel the game needs to be settled and see who the best of the best is.

"It's not about the money or the belt any more - it's for the legacy. We can't leave an open door like that."

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