Fighters on the Rise | Noche UFC

Unbeaten in 11 fights, McMillen has followed the same path as his mentor, former bantamweight champ “Suga” Sean O’Malley in moving from Montana to Arizona to train under Tim Welch. While there are some aesthetic similarities between the two — a mop of curls, an upper body covered in ink — as well as a similarly confident demeanor, McMillen has shown a grittier approach with less single-shot power than O’Malley thus far. He also has some wrestling credentials tucked in his back pocket just in case although he’s yet to need them through his first two outings.

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Saturday night, McMillen steps in with another ascending talent, Moroccan-born Australian Marwan Rahiki, who has similarly parlayed a contract last season into a 2-0 start to his UFC career. After battering former Cage Warriors champ Harry Hardwick in his debut, the 24-year-old made quick work of short-notice replacement Ollie Schmid in Perth back in May, advancing to 9-0 and maintaining his 100-percent finishing rate in the process.

McMillen asked to be included on this fight card, and his request was granted. Now, he needs to make the most of the opportunity before him. While he’s still early in both his UFC journey and his professional career, this is a massive spot for the 28-year-old “Gun. It will be interesting to see how he deals with both the attacking Rahiki and the pressure of the moment.

Rongzhu

Every sport has instances where an athlete is thrust into a prominent spot a little sooner than they should be, which results in them faltering and not living up to initial expectations. Occasionally, some of those athletes resurface and start to show why everyone was so high on their upside in the first place. When it comes to the UFC, no one fits that profile better right now than Rongzhu.

The Chinese lightweight debuted in the promotion at UFC 261 a month after his 21st birthday, dropping a decision to Kazula Vargas. After losing via submission to Ignacio Bahamondes in his third appearance, he was cut from the roster. A little more than a year later, he hooked up with City Kickboxing and turned up as one of the eight competitors in the Road to UFC Season 2 lightweight tournament, posting three wins in a touch under nine months to re-claim a place on the UFC roster. The now 26-year-old heads into his Noche UFC showdown with Rafa Garcia having won three on the bounce.

All the elements that made him intriguing as a 21-year-old remain present today — he still has good size and a decent reach, quickness and diversity with his strikes, and a wealth of experience for someone his age — but his Fight IQ has leveled up, and working with the all-star cast in Auckland means he’s getting elite coaching and training. Last time out, he absolutely punished Victor Martinez and now he has the opportunity to make some real noise in the division this weekend.

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Garcia is another ascending name that could have been featured in this space, as the Bloodline Combat Sports representative has also won three straight, most recently having beaten Alexander Hernandez in April. The 32-year-old is 5-1 over his last six, 7-2 since stumbling out of the gates at the start of his UFC career, and is the kind of well-rounded veteran that could certainly bring Rongzhu’s momentum to a halt on Saturday. It is also a fight where we could see the young man shine. Winning four in a row in the UFC is hard regardless of division, but posting four consecutive wins at lightweight is an even tougher accomplishment, regardless of the opposition. If Rongzhu gets there by beating Garcia in the Arizona desert, he could be looking at a date with someone in the top-15 next time out.

Regina Tarin