MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Justin Lawrence will have a long-desired request fulfilled on Friday when he steps in the cage with A.J. McKee in the Bellator 197 co-main event.
Over the past several months, Lawrence (11-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has been telling anyone who will listen that he wants a piece of the undefeated featherweight prospect. He’s been asking for the matchup against McKee (10-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) “for a long time,” and shortly, he’s going to get his wish.
McKee, 23, is a young fighter who has garnered a lot of promotional attention from Bellator. He’s confident and full of bravado, but Lawrence said he wants to prove the hype isn’t justified with an emphatic win at Bellator 197.
“He’s very talented, but under the lights he’s never had somebody that’s going to be standing there and trading leather like I will be,” Lawrence told MMAjunkie. “I promise. I want him to quit on the stool. I want him to give up. I want him to just not answer the bell.”
Bellator 197 will take place at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., near St. Louis. The main card, which features the Lawrence vs. McKee co-headliner, will air on Paramount following prelims on MMAjunkie.
Part of the reason Lawrence was so determined to fight McKee, is because he relates to him. Lawrence appeared on Season 15 of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in 2012, and in just his fourth pro fight debuted in the octagon. Expectations for his career were sky-high, but his UFC path didn’t pan out as expected.
Lawrence’s first career loss came to current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 150 in August 2012. His journey since has been filled with highs and lows, but if there’s one thing Lawrence said he’s certain of, it’s that he’s the best and most experienced opponent McKee has ever fought. And he plans on showing how much that counts for on fight night.
“I’ve fought at the highest level,” Lawrence said. “I was once called the young phenom, too. I was just in his shoes. I’ve been there, done that, felt that. The biggest thing in fighting is you can never believe the hype. It can get derailed right away, and you’re about to see it Friday.”
Although his record is perfect over 10 fights, McKee has received some criticism for his level of competition. Lawrence said “The Mercenary” asked for a bigger contract going forward, though, and that’s why the Bellator brass decided to take the gloves off and give him a real test at Bellator 197.
McKee has said prior to the fight that he plans to use Lawrence’s name to further legitimize himself as a rising star in the sport. Lawrence plans to play spoiler, though, and actually use McKee as his own springboard into the upper tier of the Bellator featherweight division.
“I’m here and this is all positive,” Lawrence said. “I’m going up from here. I beat A.J. McKee and I’m right back in title contention.”
For more on Bellator 197, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
