AJ McKee Ready to Go for PFL San Diego Main Event Saturday

AJ McKee (24-2 MMA, 3-1 PFL) currently is right on the doorstep of a shot at the PFL Featherweight Championship. Going into Saturday evening's PFL San Diego inside Pechanga Arena, he sits at No. 2 in the promotion's featherweight rankings in the wake of his March 20 victory over Adam Borics (20-4 MMA, 2-2 PFL) by way of unanimous decision in Madrid.

He'll have a daunting challenge awaiting him in the PFL San Diego main event of the evening. Standing across the way in the SmartCage is undefeated opponent Salamat Isbulaev (10-0 MMA, 1-0 PFL) in his sophomore appearance.

With no title at stake on Saturday night, this main event will be an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show. AJ McKee, a California native, will be greeted with applause from a partisan crowd at Pechanga Arena this weekend.

AJ McKee Says it Feels Good to be Home for PFL San Diego

Earlier on in fight week in San Diego, AJ McKee spoke with Cageside Press' Gabriel Gonzales about Saturday night's main event and the fact that he'll be fighting in front of his fellow Californians in this week's PFL headlining contest.

"It's been a while since I fought in California and had everybody here to support," AJ McKee began. "I haven't really made my way down to San Diego yet to perform, so this is still a first within a first."

AJ McKee, who previously fought in the late Bellator MMA, mentioned that he never was afforded the opportunity to fight in San Diego when the now-defunct organization held events there. 

"I was here when Cris Cyborg fought," he said. "I was here when Usman Nurmagomedov fought, as well, but never myself."

He went onto say that he misses the opportunity that Bellator MMA regularly afforded its fighters when the promotion was actively running: Competing in Hawaii.

"Those were beautiful times," AJ McKee recalled. "I don't know if I can say it has better weather than California, but it has really good weather." 

AJ McKee on Fighting Under PFL Banner

In November of 2023, the PFL purchased Bellator MMA, with the latter company holding a number of Bellator Champions Series cards throughout 2024. Upon several canceled events late in the year, the Bellator MMA brand shuttered in early 2025.

Late last year, AJ McKee and the PFL came to terms on a long-term contract. He's pleased to remain under the PFL banner for the future.

"It's awesome to go from one organization to another," he said, "and then to be able to have your skillset admired and kind of be put at the top of the roster and just hold it down, not only for them but for the priors as well."

AJ McKee Sizes Up Opponent Ahead of PFL San Diego Main Event Saturday

As previously mentioned, AJ McKee's next opponent inside the PFL SmartCage on Saturday night in San Diego will be undefeated Salamat Isbulaev. Like AJ McKee, Isbulaev will also be making his second walk to the cage in 2026 this weekend.

On Feb. 7, Isbulaev secured his first win as a member of the PFL's active roster, besting Jesus Pinedo by first-round knockout with only three seconds left on the clock in the period. AJ McKee talked about what lies ahead for him this coming Saturday evening.

"I think he's got good wrestling, pretty good jiu-jitsu, from what I've seen." he said of his adversary. "He's a little suspect on the feet. I think he blends his wrestling with his striking. I saw that with Pinedo, they had three minutes before he even engaged. This ain't going to be a fight where we're taking three minutes to engage. It's execute, execute, execute all the way."