Bellator featherweight A.J. McKee estimates he’s got three more fights before a title is in his grasp.

The first of those is a meeting with former UFC veteran Justin Lawrence (11-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) at Bellator 197, which takes place April 13 at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., and airs live on Parmount.

After that, McKee (10-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) is set on a unique concept in combat sports: a father-son appearance on a major fight card.

“No one’s competed as professional athletes as a father and son together besides baseball,” McKee told MMAjunkie. “So this being such a hands-on, physical sport, I think it’s phenomenal for my dad to be at his age and still competing.”

McKee’s father is Antonio McKee, a 20-year veteran of the sport who runs the Body Shop gym in Southern California.

Antonio McKee, 48, has trained his son from the beginning of his MMA career, as well as countless MMA prospects and veterans. He hasn’t fought professionally since 2014, but the younger McKee said that could change.

And if the McKees are going to train and prepare to fight together, he added, it’s better to do it now than later.

“Just because I only have a couple fights left until it’s time for that belt,” A.J. McKee said. “Once I’m fighting for that belt, it’s going to be hard for my father to focus on me training, him training, and then I’m coaching him, and he’s coaching me. That’s a lot of stress.”

The younger McKee calls the Bellator cage his playpen and talks with supreme confidence about his goals. He looks forward to the day when he’s holding two world titles. But he also aims to get respect from the rest of the MMA world.

The fight with Lawrence is another much-needed step up in competition before the 23-year-old takes on title contenders.

“With me fighting lower-level guys and training at 100 percent, I can go out there and blow through someone if I’m putting the work in,” A.J. McKee said. “All the guys I’ve fought, they’ve got good wrestling, and they’ve fought decent people. But they’re not top-five, top-10 contenders. Justin Lawrence is.

“I’m looking forward to making an example out of his ass, just to prove to everyone, I haven’t fought anybody? Well, look at this.”

For more on Bellator 197, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.