Is A.J. McKee better than Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and the rest of the UFC featherweight elite?

Expectations were high for A.J. McKee heading into the highly-anticipated final round of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. Needless to say, 'The Mercenary' has lived up to the hype and then some.

#AndNew | @AJMcKee101 dethrones the champ and secures the 💰$1,000,000.00 bag tonight at #Bellator263.#MMA #FeatherweightWGP pic.twitter.com/EPSOhG0X55

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) August 1, 2021

A.J. McKee proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he's Bellator's premier fighter at 145 pounds. Interestingly, though, the newly-minted featherweight champ believes his claim to featherweight supremacy extends beyond the boundaries of any MMA promotion.

"I am the best 145-pounder in the world. Whether it's UFC, ONE FC, PFL – I don't care who it is," McKee boldly claimed during his post-fight press conference.

When comparing UFC champions to Bellator titleholders, it's usually obvious who the better fighter is. Let's take the heavyweight division, for instance. Who's better: UFC's Francis Ngannou or Bellator's Ryan Bader? Of course, it's absurd to even ask.

McKee, however, is not the average Bellator champion. The California native seized the featherweight throne from the heart and soul of Bellator, the long-reigning two-division champion Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire.

With that in mind, does A.J. McKee have a legitimate argument against the likes of UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and the rest of the UFC's elite 145-pounders?

It's almost impossible to come to a clear-cut conclusion without seeing A.J. McKee compete against the Volkanovskis, Holloways, and Brian Ortegas of the world. Based on his recent performances, however, it's not unforeseeable that he's on par with the best of the best.

To understand how good A.J. McKee is, it's important to appreciate how great the man he beat is.

---

How impressive is A.J. McKee's victory Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire?

Fighters who don't compete in the UFC rarely get talked about as being among the sport's elite. But a glimpse at Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire's resume would convince even the most hardcore UFC supremacist that the Brazilian is one of the best - if not the best - fighters at 145 and 155 pounds.

Prior to the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix finals, 'Pitbull' had only one convincing loss. His other defeats came via two narrow split decisions and a leg injury he suffered in a fight he was winning.

How dominant is Freire? He breezed through Pedro Carvalho and Emmanuel Sanchez on his way to the final round of Bellator's featherweight tournament. Since 2017, no one has had an answer for him as he wreaked havoc in the featherweight and lightweight divisions.

All of a sudden, a smack-talking rising star with an undefeated record emerged as a worthy opponent. A.J. was given one shot to slay the king, and he made the most of the opportunity.

AJ McKee is the truth! pic.twitter.com/kIdSq1cHQT

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) August 1, 2021

A charismatic whippersnapper overthrowing a long-reigning Brazilian featherweight champion; doesn't that sound familiar? A.J. McKee's rise to the top echoes Conor McGregor's star-making performance against Jose Aldo at UFC 194.

---

How would A.J. McKee fare against the UFC's featherweight elite?

It's undeniable that the UFC has more talented fighters on its roster. But when it comes to quality, Bellator's top fighters are on par with some of the UFC's best.

Case in point: Michael Chandler. The former Bellator star came very close to capturing the UFC lightweight title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 262. Had things gone slightly differently, we'd be calling a homegrown Bellator talent the best UFC lightweight in the world today.

In that sense, there's no reason to believe that A.J. McKee wouldn't stand a chance against Volkanovski, Holloway, and Ortega. The young phenom, after all, already possesses a better resume than some fighters in the UFC's top five, namely Yair Rodriguez, Chan Sung Jung, and Calvin Kattar. EvenBrian Ortega, for that matter.

MONEY 💰#Bellator263 pic.twitter.com/5gByAT8GhJ

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) August 1, 2021

Then again, it's impossible to regard A.J. McKee as the top 145-pounder in the world without seeing him compete against the UFC's elite. Hopefully, we get to see it someday. But for now, let's just enjoy McKee's moment in the sun.

Long live the new king!