Former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee will be sticking around in the promotion for the long haul.

‘Mercenary’ is fresh off his decision victory over Roberto de Souza in the main event of Bellator vs. RIZIN last month. The win was also McKee’s second since moving to the lightweight division earlier this year. He previously defeated Spike Carlyle at Bellator 286 in October.

Last year, the former Bellator featherweight champion stated that his contract was fastly coming to an end. Given that he recently made a million dollars for his July 2021 win over Patricio Pitbull, McKee stated that he would need some big paydays to stick in the promotion.

It seems that Bellator and Scott Coker must’ve reached that number. As first reported by Sports Illustrated and later confirmed by promotional officials, A.J. McKee has re-signed for the promotion.

Furthermore, the deal is reportedly a multi-year, multi-bout agreement between the two sides. In a comment given in a press release, Scott Coker also revealed McKee will likely participate in the upcoming lightweight Grand Prix this year.

“Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with A.J., I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the Bellator cage,” says Coker through a press release. “It’s also our priority to retain that top talent, and with A.J. entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the Bellator brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future.”

He continued, “I am looking forward to AJ’s next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix, which showcases the best 155-pounders in the world.”

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