The lightweight contest features on the undercard of the PFL's Battle of the Giants event in Riyadh on Saturday, which is headlined by heavyweight pair Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira.
Hughes is fighting for the first time since his second-round knockout win over Bobbie King at Bellator Dublin in June, but while the 27-year-old has won his last six bouts, he admits former Bellator featherweight champion McKee represents a big step up.
"AJ is a veteran. He's been there and done it," Hughes told BBC Sport NI.
"He's made a lot of money, fought a lot of good guys, beat them all.
"He's only had one loss in his whole career, he's 22-1, so he's a tough test and a big step up for me but a challenge I'm here for."
Hughes added: "[It's] definitely my first time as an underdog and by far the biggest fight of my career. This is life-changing stuff, if I beat AJ - or when I beat AJ - my life will be changed."
Hughes' star has been on the rise in recent years. Having overcome a near career-ending injury when he was younger, the Derry native secured the biggest win of his career when he beat Jordan Vucenic to become Cage Warriors' undisputed featherweight champion in November 2022.
In exacting revenge on the Englishman - who had beaten Hughes in 2020 - Hughes became the first Irish fighter since UFC superstar Conor McGregor to hold the Cage Warriors featherweight title.
At the time, Hughes eyed a deal with the UFC, but remained with Cage Warriors for wins over Jan Quaeyhaegens and Fabiano Silva before signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), which acquired Bellator in 2023, earlier this year.
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