Antonio McKee file photo: Rob King | Sherdog.com
Antonio McKee, the firebrand veteran lightweight long derided for his suffocating wrestling-heavy wins, turned on his finishing ability in his most recent outing under the Maximum Fighting Championships banner, a win that earned the 40-year-old a four-fight UFC contract.
McKee mauled Luciano Azevedo with an elbow from the top at MFC 26 on Sept. 10, opening a cavern-like cut that poured blood and prompted the first-round stoppage. McKee, who’s gone the distance in 18 of his 25 career wins, had vowed to finish Azevedo or retire from the sport, a pledge that appeared to draw an extra level of attention to the fight, which aired on HDNet.
The bout was the third and final on McKee’s contract with MFC, for whom he’s held the lightweight title since Feb. 2009. He told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “The Savage Dog Show” on Wednesday the he’d come to an agreement with the UFC but wasn’t not sure when his first Octagon test would be. McKee has long said the promotion avoided booking him despite his win streak because of his spectator-unfriendly wrestling style.