It wasn’t long ago that AJ McKee was ranked one of the best featherweights in the sport, but after making a disappointing decision to Patricio Pitbull in 2022, he decided to have talent at 155 pounds instead.
He won the next four battles, which led him to face up to the rising star Paul Hughes in the de facto No. 1 contender match against the winner scheduled to face then Beliter lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Unfortunately, Mackey was short and dropped the split decision, but he certainly doesn’t regret his performance.
“I had shoulder surgery just before my final fight,” Mackie told MMA Fighting. “A lot of people didn’t know. That wasn’t what I was open. Obviously, I don’t want anyone who knows I’m hurt. But I had shoulder surgery just before my final fight. The world is again.”
“I shed tears on my PEC, my lips, my biceps, then they shaved my AC and my rotary device (cuffs). It was a complete shoulder repair. It wasn’t tattered.
To reveal that he had surgery before the fight might sound like Mackie is making excuses for his loss, but he promises that he and he are the only choice to compete that night.
As long as he hoped he was in 100% health, Mackie still did his best and just got shorter with a close decision.
“At the end of the day, I went there and fought, and it’s me,” Mackie said. “It was a close fight. You can really say I wasn’t myself. I think a lot of people realize and say that. I was tired all the way after the first round, but I gave it everything I had.
“I literally didn’t even finish therapy and get into the fight, but I wasn’t the brightest thing in the world, but I can throw punches.
Losing to Hughes wasn’t necessarily the deciding factor for Mackey to return to his old featherweight stomping ground.
The move led a little faster after missing out on a fight with Nurmagomedov in the lightweight title of the line, as it is a matchup he’s been chasing from his first day in the division.
That doesn’t mean he couldn’t get back there again in the end, but Mackie knows his absolute best, when he competes in featherweight, he’s barely out of control.
“It’s time to issue a statement again,” Mackie said. “At the end of the day, I love the title. I love fighting through what should break you or bring you backwards. Fighting away from the lightweight division, 155 pounds from the title, and fighting away from the title is a reminder that you are still one of the worst guys on the planet.
“Back to the 145 pound division and run there again and remind us of the world, the worst 145 pound gun in the world. On the way back, after losing my first fight in the 145 pound division, I’m back to showing someone with the worst guy in the 145 pound division.”
Part of his past frustration at featherweight was the lack of competition after Mackey was defeated in the face of virtually most top candidates before he was drawn into a rivalry with Pitbull.
Thanks to the merger of PFL-bellator, McKee can suck in lots of new blood when he sees a pool of potential enemies. It motivates him well as he hopes Mackie will wrap another belt around his waist and wrap it right away.
On top of that, Mackie has only lost for the second time in his career, but he really doesn’t like the feeling.
“I lost, what do you guess? I’m still the worst guy on the planet in this division,” Mackie said. “I was a fight away from being the worst guy in the (lightweight) division. I think a walk at light weight was to show everyone that I’m truly one of the best fighters on the planet, whether I’m really 145 or 155. You’re in front of me, I’m coming to take your head off.”
“Obviously I suffer from that loss and I’m back with vengeance every time I lose. I’m hungry more than ever. In the featherweight division, I don’t care who it is.”