By Luke Mullaney
At UFC Oklahoma, Tommy McMillen didn’t just beat Alberto Montes – he proved that he’s the most exciting and dangerous new prospect in the UFC right now.
McMillen produced the second largest ‘significant strikes landed’ disparity in UFC history, landing 4.5 times as many strikes as his opponent Montes.
The fighter landed 252 significant strikes compared to Montes’ 56.
This accomplishment becomes even more impressive when considering the fact that McMillen won via technical knockout in the third round at 3:29.
He broke Nate Diaz’s long-standing record for the most significant strikes landed in a three-round UFC fight, even though the contest ended a minute and a half early.
McMillen is now 11-0 as a professional, showing nothing but talent and potential.
Superstar qualities
Becoming a superstar isn’t as simple as winning and looking good on paper.
McMillen has qualities that are far more valuable – possessing an extremely unique look, an attitude and a polarising personality.
Above all else, McMillen possesses perhaps the most exciting fighting style to watch in the entire sport.
He fights with insane volume, attacking in long, hard combinations to the heads and bodies of his opponents.
He fights in a way that almost always guarantees a finish as he’s only seen the scorecards once in his professional career.
His electric performance in his last fight even earned him a $100,000 performance-of-the-night bonus.
At UFC Oklahoma, his nose was bloodied up and he was dropped multiple times, but he recovered instantly and continued with the onslaught of strikes as though nothing had happened.
McMillen has a unique combination of toughness, showmanship, relentless aggression and charisma, which he put on full display in his last fight.
He taunted Montes, moving forward aggressively with his hands down, throwing middle fingers at him.
He frequently threw flashy attacks and spinning kicks during the fight, which was aesthetically pleasing to watch.
McMillen is also comfortable creating chaos and hostility before a fight, which helps promote his fights.
His association with Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch is great for his long-term growth as it means he’s surrounded by a team that knows how to develop fighters technically and professionally.
It also gives him even more of a name and increased access to an established audience.
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Big flaws
People fairly criticise what McMillen’s ceiling is.
Throughout the fight with Montes, he was repeatedly caught by straight right hands, which dropped him multiple times.
McMillen leaves himself vulnerable when he attacks with his hands down and overextends.
A powerful, disciplined counter-striker or potentially a talented wrestler could punish those defensive vulnerabilities.
McMillen was extremely durable against Montes, but as he faces tougher competition, he will not be able to rely on a strong chin as his primary defence.
The UFC has a serious star problem, and McMillen is the answer.
He hasn’t yet proved that he’s good enough to become champion, but in just his second fight in the UFC, he’s showcased exceptionally rare star qualities.
If he continues to win in the way that he has been, the UFC will have a new star on their roster.
McMillen has only shown elite star potential so far, but his technical abilities must continue to sharpen.
On a positive note, the unique blend of character, violence and electricity that McMillen is cannot be taught.
And with his win against Montes this past weekend, his stock has risen significantly.
Only time will tell whether McMillen’s defence can withstand better opposition.
But if it can, fans and the UFC should get aboard the hype train, because Tommy McMillen is the next big thing.
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