Mitch McKee was already viewed as a top prospect as an All-American wrestler from the University of Minnesota and then amassing a perfect 10-0 record to start his MMA career. But even he didn’t expect to make his PFL debut in a main event against top ranked bantamweight contender Sergio Pettis.
Truth be told, McKee was already signed to the PFL roster and he had a different opponent in mind when the matchmakers came back with the unexpected offer.
“They had a different opponent in mind for me but then probably a week later my manager called me and basically said whoever Sergio was going to fight dropped out and they asked me if I wanted to fight him and I said yes right away,” McKee told MMA Fighting. “Me, I feel confident in my abilities and the last few years, I’ve really become a very well rounded fighter.
“These kinds of opportunities, it’s hard not to say yes to. I’m just one of those people, you give me an opportunity like this I’m not going to say no. I knew this was my opportunity to catapult myself into the PFL and really make a name for myself versus spending years just kind of slowing climbing the ranks. I can catapult and fight the No. 1 contender. Who’s not going to say yes to that, especially if you’re ready.”
While getting a main event in your debut fight is anything but normal, McKee appreciated that PFL already had that much faith in him to even make that offer available to him.
It was inevitable that the 28-year-old bantamweight was going to sign with a major promotion but McKee praised PFL for making him feel so valued. He’s not certain he would have received anywhere near the same level of attention if his next move ended with him in the UFC.
“That’s what intrigued me a lot about PFL is how much they can get behind you and they’re really getting behind me and giving me an opportunity,” McKee said. “With PFL, I feel like you’re not seen as just another fighter in their pool like sometimes you are in the UFC. They really want to help you and give you the best trajectory they possibly can.
“They gave me another opponent and then they gave me Sergio. They’re trying to give me opportunities and half the time, it’s just trying to get your foot in the door. Sometimes in the UFC, you see guys just waiting and waiting for their chance. PFL is really getting behind me and giving me my opportunity.”
As much as McKee appreciates the chance to compete in the PFL Chicago main event on Saturday, he’s not showing up just to roll over and play dead for Pettis, who is arguably already the best bantamweight on the entire roster.
Stylistically, McKee really likes the matchup against Pettis, especially recognizing that he’s struggled in some of his past fight against physically dominant grapplers. With a wrestling background from the same school that produced Gable Steveson, Brock Lesnar and Logan Storley in the past, McKee knows he’s got the ability to put Pettis down and keep him there.
“Obviously that’s part of the reason this matchup intrigues me so much just because of the stylistic matchup,” McKee said. “My top game definitely benefits me in that scenario. I think I’m just bigger, stronger, got the wrestling background so I can really use my grappling to my advantage, whether it’s to try to get a submission or some ground and pound or just wear on him so then in the later rounds, the striking can come from there and he’s a little less effective on the feet.”
On the flipside, Pettis is one of the most creative fighters in the world with the ability to finish a fight he seems destined to lose.
Down on the scorecards in his fight against Kyoji Horiguchi back in 2021, Pettis uncorked a vicious spinning back first to earn a highlight reel knockout. It was much the same when he used a spinning back elbow to flatten Magomed Magomedov in his most recent outing.
McKee knows that Pettis has that ability but he can’t overthink that too much because ultimately he just needs to go out and fight his fight to win.
“I think you just have to accept he has that in his back pocket but you can’t really focus it because otherwise it consumes you,” McKee said. “That’s all you think about and that’s such a small, little thing. Maybe you get caught with it but you have to focus on the majority of what’s going to happen in the fight. Obviously we’ve discussed it and part of that is just staying locked in for the full 15 minutes.
“I think Magomed Magomedov got, I don’t want to say cocky, but he was winning that fight and got a little ahead of himself. He threw that flying knee against the cage and landed right in front of him and it’s that dead space where he’s really good if you freeze out in front of him, he’ll do his spinning stuff. So you need to be all the way in or all the way out.”
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