AJ McKee will face Salamat Isbulaev on June 27 in San Diego in a PFL lightweight bout. McKee holds a 24-2 record and is ranked #2, while Isbulaev is undefeated at 10-0 and ranked #6. The post questions PFL's matchmaking for Isbulaev, noting he faced #3-ranked Jesus Pinedo in his PFL debut (winning by first-round finish) but only received a #6 ranking. Now he faces former Bellator champion McKee, one of PFL's strongest fighters overall, without any easier matchups for momentum. The author finds it unclear whether this represents PFL supporting or challenging Isbulaev, though acknowledges it creates an interesting path to the title.
