Tommy McMillen Just Put the UFC Featherweight Division on Notice

Noche UFC 4 proved to be an enjoyable edition of the UFC’s annual Mexican Independence Day weekend card. Jean Silva thwarted a spirited effort from Jose Delgado, Brandon Moreno got back to winning ways, Alexa Grasso seemed to secure a title shot, and Sean King III slammed his way into an impactful UFC debut.

But none of that compared to the wild war seen between two undefeated prospects, Tommy McMillen and Marwan Rahiki. And with the way McMillen fought as he earned the victory, we can now start to wonder if the hype around him is for real.

Both fighters came in with similar stories. They both made an impression on Dana White’s Contender Series to the point that they earned UFC contracts. Both were undefeated in professional MMA and were 2-0 in the UFC, with two finishes each.

Even though one could say the UFC had more stock in McMillen, given he’s teammates with another UFC darling in Sean O’Malley, it’s not every day you see the UFC book undefeated top prospects with stock in them up against one another. After all, it’s greatly risking losing momentum if dominated, finished, or both.

The UFC would only do something like this if they know the fight is going to be pure fire. And the two of them, assisted by pre-fight tension, lived up to that promise.

The right hand proved to be McMillen’s friend early on, landing consistently as the action began at a fast pace. Rahiki attempted to find his own groove, but he was playing behind the 8-ball and trying to catch up with McMillen throughout the round. In fact, McMillen even scored a takedown and threatened a choke at one point.

But even though Rahiki was getting tagged, he showed his spirit and remained in the fight, not deterred by any of McMillen’s offense. He stayed patient and waited for his opportunity, and that arrived in the second round.

Rahiki landed a left hand, sending McMillen crashing to the canvas. McMillen was able to get back up, but Rahiki brought about a volume and power that showed the shoe was on the other foot this time around. McMillen scored a late takedown and tried to threaten more submissions, but it wasn’t a match for the offense Rahiki provided.

This fight clearly looked like it was going to come down to round three – and probably whose cardio was better. Ultimately, it was McMillen’s.

Despite a strong start from Rahiki at the end, McMillen landed a right and dropped Rahiki again. McMillen then controlled the action for the rest of the fight, earning the decision in the back-and-forth battle.

McMillen is now 12-0 as a professional MMA fighter, and all three of his Octagon bouts have earned him a post-fight bonus. Perhaps it’s time for another step up in competition, and let’s see if “Tommy Gun” can continue to entertain as he searches for a quick way into the UFC featherweight rankings.