AJ McKee makes a statement with slick armbar of Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator (Video)

Former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee needed just over a minute to tap out Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator.

McKee and Collard kicked off the pay-per-view card at PFL vs. Bellator in Riyadh. The highly-anticipated lightweight matchup was expected to potentially be a back-and-forth war, but the fight lasted inside one round.

McKee wasted no time utilizing his superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu toolbox against Collard. He transitioned beautifully from a guillotine to a triangle armbar to force Collard to quickly tap.

McKee put Bellator up 1-0 over PFL in their clash in Saudi Arabia. He earned the event's Super Belt, which is handed out to the seven main card winners.

AJ McKee taps Clay Collard at PFL vs. Bellator

Watch McKee clinch the win with an armbar below.

McKee is on the verge of a potential Bellator lightweight title shot with the victory over Collard. He's won four fights in a row since a unanimous decision loss to Patrício 'Pitbull' Freire in their featherweight title rematch at Bellator 277.

After making the full-time move to lightweight, McKee has earned wins over Sidney Outlaw, Roberto de Souza, and Spike Carlyle. He's expressed little interest in returning to featherweight unless it's a trilogy against Freire.

Collard has now lost back-to-back fights since making it to the 2023 PFL Championship. He lost the 2023 PFL lightweight championship to Olivier Aubin-Mercier in November.

McKee adds an intriguing element to the Bellator lightweight division. He could also potentially opt into the PFL lightweight season, providing him with multiple options for his MMA return.

McKee withdrew from the Bellator lightweight world Grand Prix due to a medical issue last year. He was supposed to face Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire in the tournament's opening round.

Follow along with the up-to-date live results and highlights from PFL vs. Bellator here.