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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — All week long, budding star A.J. McKee and his father, 49-year-old Antonio, visualized how Bellator 228 would play out: Antonio would win his undercard fight with William Sriyapai, then A.J. would take his main-card, featherweight grand prix bout with Georgi Karakhanyan.

Somehow, even those lofty standards were exceeded. Antonio looked as fit as someone 20 years his junior in his second-round TKO victory; then the younger McKee (15-0 MMA, 15-0 BMMA) scored the second-fastest knockout in Bellator history when he dropped Karakhanyan in 8 seconds.

With some time to take it all in, A.J. sounded, well, like someone who just watched his dad win a fight and then won one of his own.

“It was phenomenal,” McKee said at the Bellator 228 post-fight news conference at The Forum. “Him going in there and doing what he had to do, it set the tone right for me. I knew I had a job to do. He constantly said it. Go in there, you win, set the night off, finish with a bang.”

By setting the tone, Antonio keyed his son up for his fight, as he started to think big.

“Honestly before the fight I said I just wanted to go out and get Bellator’s fastest knockout,” McKee said. “I think everyone was just so awed by the moment and how quick it was. But, shit, honestly I was surprised. But I knew I was capable of it, so why not?”

When he saw Karakhanyan (28-10-1 MMA, 6-8 BMMA) change footwork, that’s when McKee knew it was time to pounce.

“I read Georgi. He came out southpaw and then he immediately switched,” McKee said. “So I just went out and hit him. Then I saw the opportunity, and I took it.”

Antonio McKee at Bellator 228. (Dave Mandel-MMA Junkie)

McKee now moves on to a December quarterfinal tournament date with Derek Campos, as determined by the evening’s draw. But it was his dad who helped it all come together on a night neither will ever forget.

“It was awesome,” McKee said. “You guys probably see the footage of me cornering him. There’s going to be a lot of bleeping in there. It was surreal. Fun night. It was a great way to start off the tournament I felt. He set the tone for me, you know? Showed me you got a job to do. And I’m looking forward to doing it.”

To hear more from both McKees (and Campos), watch the videos above and below.