Image Credit: Bellator MMA
AJ McKee vs. Patricio Pitbull 2, Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson set to headline Bellator 277
AJ McKee vs. Patricio Pitbull 2 is set
Bellator 277 will see two title fights headline the card.
According to Orange County Register, AJ McKee will look to defend his featherweight belt for the first time as he rematches Patricio Pitbull. The co-main event sees the conclusion of the light heavyweight grand prix as Vadim Nemkov battles Corey Anderson where the winner will get $1 million and be the light heavyweight champ. Bellator 277 goes down on April 15 at SAP Center in San Jose.
AJ McKee (18-0) is coming off a first-round submission win over Patricio Pitbull to win the featherweight strap and the featherweight grand prix. In the fight, he wobbled Pitbull early and then jumped on a guillotine choke before the ref stepped in and waved it off. Prior to that, the undefeated fighter submitted Darrion Caldwell in the first round, submitted Derek Campos in the quarter-finals, and to kick off the opening round of the grand prix, he knocked out Georgi Karakhanyan in eight seconds.
Patricio Pitbull (32-5) suffered the submission loss to McKee and vowed to get the rematch and even vacated his lightweight belt so he didn’t hold up that division while he waited for it. In the grand prix, he submitted Emmanuel Sanchez in the first round, knocked out Pedro Carvalho in the first round, and earned a decision victory over Juan Archuleta. In his career, he also holds notable wins over Michael Chandler, Henry Corrales, Daniel Straus, and Daniel Weichel among others.
As for the co-main event, the light heavyweight grand prix will come to a close as Vadim Nemkov looks to defend his strap for the third time as he takes on Corey Anderosn. The Russian won the belt back in August of 2020 as he TKO’s Ryan Bader and since then, beat Phil Davis by decision in the opening round of the grand prix and then submitted Julius Anglickas in the semis. Anderson, meanwhile, is 3-0 in Bellator and coming off a 51-second knockout victory over Ryan Bader.
