Maybe it's a negotiation tactic - Brendan Schaub on A.J. McKee saying he wants to fight in the UFC

Brendan Schaub admits he's unsure if the admission of A.J. McKee wanting to fight in the UFC is a way to get a better contract with Bellator or if he is genuinely considering joining the Dana White-led promotion.

The former featherweight champion, who recently lost the belt to Patrício Pitbull via unanimous decision, has been very outspoken about his desire to fight in the UFC at some stage in his career.

McKee's original contract ended when he successfully fought for and won the featherweight Grand Prix last July, which included $1 million dollars in prize money. The victory, however, meant a clause was added. Winning the belt added another three fights to his Bellator contract. It's believed that despite losing the gold, 'Mercenary' still has two fights remaining.

During an episode of The Schaub Show, 'Big Brown' discussed the intriguing nature of McKee's status with Bellator.

"What's interesting about this is even before the fight, Bellator were trying to sign him to a new contract."

Schaub later referred to the timing of A.J. McKee's recent interviews, during which the 27-year-old claimed that it is inevitable he will end up fighting for the UFC.

"He was like, 'My goal since I was a kid, I grew up watching the UFC. I wanna be UFC champion. That's my goal...' I just think it's interesting that he's doing it now during negotiations. Maybe it's a negotitian tactic. Saying, 'I can jump ship, I wanna jump to the UFC unless you pay me.'"

'Big Brown' seems adamant that the reason for McKee's desire to fight in the UFC is because it's where everyone wants to go. Schaub believes the promotion is unquestionably the biggest in MMA in, and if a fighter really wants to be considered the best, they have to succeed in the UFC.

Watch the full episode of The Schaub Show below:

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A.J. McKee and a trilogy with Patrício Pitbull

Former featherweight champion A.J. McKee has been on a relentless run since making his Bellator debut in 2015. 14 straight victories led 'Mercenary' to the featherweight Grand Prix, which included a chance at $1 million and the featherweight strap.

The Californian-born fighter lived up to the reputation he set for himself and became the champion, defeating Patrício Pitbull via first-round submission in the Grand Prix final.

The two fighters went toe-to-toe again last week, with A.J. McKee losing out on both his title and undefeated record by falling on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict.

The pair, who are now tied 1-1 in a head-to-head, aren't guaranteed to complete their trilogy. Prior to the rematch, McKee expressed an interest in challenging the brother of 'Pitbull', who is the current Bellator lightweight champion.

Scott Coker has also admitted that a trilogy fight isn't a guarantee either, leaving the future of A.J. McKee and his remaining two fights a mystery.