Tommy McMillen's corner asked him to unleash the biggest gangster he could after a punishing second round. McMillen obliged, overwhelming Marwan Rahiki at Noche UFC and feeding the growing legend of Tommy "Gun."
It's not often that a fight between two prospects is the most anticipated on a UFC card. That's exactly what we got at Noche UFC as the undefeated prospects fought to erase the "0" from each other's records. It exceeded lofty expectations. McMillen and Rahiki embodied chaos and calmness, respectively, as expected, but both showed incredible resilience.
A competitive first round was only the warm-up. In Round 2, Rahiki blasted with an uppercut from Earth's core that had McMillen struggling for balance. Rahiki poured everything he had into the finish, rattling McMillen with combination punches and knees to the skull. Somehow, McMillen survived. Even more disturbingly, he smiled through it. By the time the second buzzer sounded, McMillen had won enough momentum back to avoid a 10-8 round.
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RAHIKI HURTS MCMILLEN HOW IS HE STILL STANDING?! 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/KtwfcBdZnQ
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) September 12, 2026
"I feel like I'm a real-life 'Grand Theft Auto' character," McMillen told CBS Sports in the lead-up to Saturday's fight. "I go on these heists for the UFC. I go cash bonuses, I go upgrade my car, I go upgrade my clothes, and upgrade my crib. I'm living life like a video game. I'm Player 1, and it's my time."
It wasn't just talk. Tim Welch, McMillen's coach, who also trains Sean O'Malley, demanded to see that gangster in Round 3. McMillen obliged, knocking down Rahiki and ragdolling him in the grappling exchanges. Rahiki's submission defense held up, but McMillen showed enough dominance to score a 10-8 on one judge's scorecard. The final tally read 29-28, 29-28, 29-27 in his favor.
"I'm a West Side gangster motherf---ers!" McMillen said in his post-fight speech from Glendale, Arizona. "I knew I could outdog him."
NOW MCMILLEN DROPS RAHIKI!! 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/koBVdC3xWk
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) September 12, 2026
McMillen and Rahiki clearly have holes in their games. You don't often see such an exciting fight without defensive lapses. However, they showed incredible determination and skill for two fighters under 30. One can't help but think they'll meet again down the line with even more at stake.
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