Bellator 277 Results: McKee vs. Pitbull 2

Bellator 277 took place on April 15, 2022, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Patricio Freire regained the featherweight championship from A.J. McKee by unanimous decision. The light heavyweight grand prix final between Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson ended in a no contest, leaving the tournament without a winner that night.

Main Event: Freire vs. McKee 2

A.J. McKee and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire met again in the main event. Their first encounter at Bellator 263 ended with McKee securing a victory with a standing guillotine choke. Freire changed the result at Bellator 277. The fight was closely contested, with both fighters having their moments. Freire’s leg kicks and guillotine choke attempt in the third round were among the highlights, while McKee struggled to find his rhythm. Freire won a close unanimous decision to reclaim the featherweight title, his third reign at 145 pounds.

Co-Main Event: Nemkov vs. Anderson

Nemkov and Anderson met for the light heavyweight title and the grand prix championship. An accidental head clash stopped the bout in round three before it could proceed to the scorecards. The official result was a no contest. Nemkov remained champion, but neither fighter won the tournament final at this event.

Other Notable Fights

The card also saw Aaron Pico continue his rise in the featherweight division with a TKO victory over Adli Edwards. Linton Vassell defeated Timothy Johnson via TKO, showcasing his striking prowess. These performances highlighted the depth of talent in Bellator and set the stage for the supporting results beneath the championship bouts.

The Aftermath

Freire’s victory made him a three-time featherweight champion and handed McKee his first professional defeat. The scorecards were 49–46, 48–47 and 48–47. The narrow margins on two cards reflected a competitive rematch, even though all three judges selected Freire.

The championship and tournament outcomes moved in different directions: featherweight gained a returning champion, while the light heavyweight bracket required another meeting. Pico’s third-round stoppage of Adli Edwards and Vassell’s first-round finish of Tim Johnson supplied decisive supporting results.

Why the Event Mattered

The contrast between a completed title fight and an interrupted final defined the evening. A no contest does not award a new championship or erase the incumbent’s belt; it leaves the competitive question unresolved. Freire’s win, by comparison, conclusively changed who held the featherweight title.

Sources

MMA Fighting: Bellator 277 results; Event results record.

Article Tags

Bellator, Bellator 277, Mixed Martial Arts