A.J. McKee to Face Brandon Phillips on Bellator 171 Main Card

Featherweight prospect A.J. McKee will take on Brandon Phillips in a main card contest at Bellator 171.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Thursday. Also announced for main draw is a women’s flyweight duel pitting Jessica Middleton against Alice Smith Yauger. Bellator 171 takes place at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., and is headlined by a 175-pound catch-weight affair between Melvin Guillard and Chidi Njokuani. The card will be televised on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

The 21-year-old McKee is 6-0 as a professional, with all of his triumphs coming under the Bellator MMA banner. He went the distance for the first time in his career in his last outing at Bellator 166, as he took a three-round verdict over Ray Wood. All of his five previous triumphs occurred inside of a round.

Phillips was victorious in his lone Bellator MMA appearance, earning a unanimous decision against Chuka Willis at Bellator 159 on July 22. Most recently, the 27-year-old Oklahoma City native suffered a second-round submission defeat to Bryce Mitchell at World Series of Fighting 33.