McMillen Outlasts Rahiki In Bloody FOTY Candidate
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Tommy McMillen survived a knockdown and a flurry of follow-up shots to beat Marwan Rahiki by unanimous decision at Noche UFC 4 on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona, in what both MMA Mania and observers ringside are calling an early Fight of the Year candidate.
The featherweight bout lived up to its pre-fight promise. McMillen dropped Rahiki with a clean right hand in round three and chased a finish with a front choke, per MMA Mania's coverage, but Rahiki weathered the storm and returned to his feet with two minutes left. McMillen kept the pressure on with knees to the body and a late takedown, then flipped off his opponent at the final bell.
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Rahiki's Second-Round Uppercut Nearly Ends It
The wildest sequence came in round two. Rahiki landed a counter uppercut that sent McMillen crashing to the canvas, then unloaded a barrage of punches hunting the finish. McMillen somehow survived and even landed a big right hand of his own a minute later, according to MMA Mania's Andrew Richardson. McMillen closed the round on top with submission attempts after a late takedown.
The first round set the tone. McMillen opened with a takedown and threatened an arm triangle before the fight moved back to the feet. Both fighters traded kicks and hard punches in close. McMillen opened a cut near Rahiki's eye late in the frame, and the two mouthed off as the referee separated them at the bell.
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McMillen's cardio held up despite eating heavy body shots and the second-round knockdown. He used his wrestling sparingly but effectively, mixing in guillotine and front choke attempts throughout the fight. The win is his third straight in the UFC after coming through the Contender Series.
All three judges scored the bout for McMillen. He is now 3-0 in the Octagon and has not said publicly who he wants next in the talent-rich featherweight division.
Original reporting:
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