A.J. McKee has taken notice of the exhibition boxing world tour that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been on the last few years, whether it was battling Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan, Logan Paul in Miami or Don Moore this past May in Abu Dhabi.
The former Bellator world featherweight champion, who will make his lightweight debut against Spike Carlyle at Bellator 286 on Oct. 1, would like nothing more for "Money's" global trek to stop on him next. In fact, it’s on his bucket list.
“Bro, that is my dream bout. I’d feel honored to share that moment with him,” McKee tells DAZN during an exclusive sitdown interview Tuesday in New York City about getting a chance to test his boxing skills against Mayweather. “It’d be a blessing to me.
“I feel like it would bring me the respect that I deserve in the mixed martial arts world because only the best of the best get the opportunity to step in with him which means I feel that he’s honoring that I am the best,” McKee tacks on.
“It would pretty much solidify that ‘This kid is the up and coming of this sport and he’s the best at what he does and I’d like to see how he does in my world.’”
Just as quick as he is to volunteer his services, McKee is clear to stipulate that such a dream bout would need to be an exhibition bout over a straight out fight.
“An exhibition from Floyd. Not a boxing match,” McKee states.
“A boxing match is a bit different because that’s going in there with the intent to finish the fight.
“It’s not like (Conor) McGregor trying to knock his head off,” he continues.
“I have more respect for (Mayweather) and his accolades and his career. It’s going out there and having a good fight, moving around like a little sparring match.”
He adds: “Obviously Floyd being the best of the best and me knowing I’m the best of the best. It’s always a moment I wanted to share. It’s like Kobe (Bryant) and Michael Jordan getting to play together. That’s what it’s like for me.”
At 27, the Long Beach, Calif. product raced out to an 18-0 record as a pro mixed martial artist and mentioned Mayweather’s pristine ledger as inspiration along the way, before controversially losing his rematch to Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in April. (Many critics and fans alike thought that McKee did enough to defeat “Pitbull” in their rematch, including DAZN which scored the fight in his favor).
The sole blemish on his record hasn’t stopped McKee from still sourcing Mayweather as an influence.
“Mainly just the work ethic,” he says about a Mayweather trait that has stuck with him.
“The point that regardless you can’t take from me what I’ve earned. That’s a big key, man. I’m still undefeated. I’m forever undefeated in life. My record may be tarnished but I’m forever undefeated in life.”
McKee believes getting in the ring with Mayweather before the latter's window closes permanently could even help him create other opportunities in the sweet science.
“Being able to share that moment with a legend like that, it would be phenomenal. I feel like it would open up an avenue for my boxing world,” McKee says.
“I have some dream fights that I would love to get in there — Errol Spence. They need a backup, call me. Call me, I’m there.”
McKee’s dream fights, of course, also can be targeted in MMA as well, where he always thought he and McGregor could spark fireworks, but that another bout would be more realistic and true to what he’s trying to prove.
“I always wanted to fight McGregor just because I feel like I’m the better southpaw, but Alex Volkanovski, man. I feel like I would expose him,” McKee says of the UFC featherweight champion and current No. 1 on the company’s pound-for-pound rankings.
“Styles make fights. He’s great on the feet but he doesn’t have wrestling nor does he have great jiu-jitsu. We saw him against (Brian) Ortega, he withheld a guillotine and a triangle. So, he’s learning. He’s adapting and becoming better and better. But I would like to just solidify myself as the best 145-pounder in the world and leave no question and no doubts.”
That’s in the MMA world.
To McKee, an exhibition against Mayweather would be almost otherworldly.