Bellator 205 has found its replacement for Pat Curran, as John Teixeira will step in to face A.J. McKee.
Bellator MMA didn’t take long to find a new opponent for rising star A.J. McKee. Just days after news broke that former featherweight champ Pat Curran was forced off the Bellator 205 card, MMA Junkie reported that the promotion has given the nod to John Teixeira to take his place. McKee vs. Curran had been slotted in as the main event, which will now be McKee vs. Teixeira.
Teixeira (21–3–2) actually most recently fought against Curran, a decision loss last October at Bellator 184. It was the second of two back-to-back losses for the Brazilian, following a split decision loss to Daniel Weichel at Bellator 177. Prior to those bumps in the road, however, Teixeira had been on a ten fight unbeaten streak, with four wins under the Bellator banner.
A.J. McKee (11-0) has been at the forefront of a youth movement in Bellator. While the promotion still frequently relies on any number of older, legendary fighters of yesteryear to top their cards (see: Rampage vs. Wanderlei Silva 4), they’ve done an excellent job scooping up rookie talent. McKee, along with Joey Davis, Baby Slice, Aaron Pico, Logan Storley, and others, is a big part of the promotion’s future. And at 11-0, he’s among the first to be ready for a step up. While former champ Curran would have been the best option, Teixeira will have to do for now, and should represent enough of a test to determine if McKee is ready for the next level.
Bellator 205 takes place September 21 at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho.
