Tale of the Tape
Result Summary
A.J. McKee defeated Salamat Isbulaev by unanimous decision in the featherweight main event of PFL San Diego on June 27, 2026. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in McKee's favor, reflecting a dominant sweep across all three rounds. McKee, a former Bellator featherweight champion, controlled the contest from start to finish against the previously unbeaten Isbulaev, who entered the fight 10-0 and was unable to impose his game over the full 15 minutes. With the PFL featherweight title vacant, the convincing win positions McKee as the top contender in the division.
Fight Overview
Former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee (24-2) puts his No. 2 PFL ranking on the line against undefeated Kazakh knockout artist Salamat Isbulaev (10-0), whose R1 stoppage of Jesus Pinedo in his PFL debut announced him as a genuine division threat. McKee brings proven championship pedigree and a three-inch height advantage, while Isbulaev counters with a 100% finish rate and the kind of first-round violence that has derailed bigger names before him.
Keys to Victory
A. J. McKee
- Use his 73.5-inch reach to work behind the jab and keep Isbulaev on the end of his punches rather than letting the Kazakh set his feet.
- Shoot for takedowns early to test whether Isbulaev's ground game holds up against elite-level wrestling and submission pressure.
- Neutralize Isbulaev's first-round finishing instinct by surviving any early exchanges composed and forcing a measured, technical pace.
Salamat Isbulaev
- Close distance aggressively and eliminate McKee's reach advantage by pressuring to the clinch where elbows and short punches land clean.
- Target McKee's body early to slow his movement and force him onto the back foot before hunting the head.
- Capitalize on any defensive lapses in the first two rounds before McKee can settle into a rhythm and control with distance.
Last 5 fights
A. J. McKee
- W Ádám Borics
- W Pedro Nobre
- W Akhmed Magomedov
- W Greg Fischer
- W Hector Ferral
Salamat Isbulaev
- W Jesus Pinedo
- W Francisco de Lima Maciel
- W Namnanbayar Tuul
- W Nurdi Gatsaev
- W Muslim Nurmagomedov
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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.