Marwan
Rahiki believes Tommy
McMillen’s record-setting performance reflects a lack of
knockout power.
Rahiki (9-0) and McMillen (11-0) will put their undefeated records
on the line at
Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale,
Arizona. In his last outing, McMillen set a new record for
significant strikes in an
Ultimate Fighting Championship three-round bout, but Rahiki is
far from impressed.
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Marwan Rahiki questions Tommy McMillen’s knockout power ahead
of Noche UFC 4
Rahiki welcomed the matchup despite the relatively short
turnaround. He’s 2-0 in the UFC and is excited at the prospect of
fighting McMillen, who also has a ton of hype behind him.
“I was surprised, but at the same time, I’m not that surprised,”
Rahiki told MMA Junkie. “This is the most exciting fight I’ve ever
had. The first time I heard the name, I was like, ‚Wow.‘ So happy
— I don’t remember myself being so happy with a fight, with the
opponent. I’ve always wanted to fight the best guys.”
McMillen earned his second bonus in the UFC for his last bout, in
which he drowned Alberto
Montes with strikes before finding a late finish in the third
round, setting a new record. Rahiki, however, claims significant
strike-based records aren’t statistics to be proud of.
“When someone breaks a significant strikes record, as I see it…
Finish the fight in the first round,” Rahiki explained. “I don’t
care about significants. I never think, ‘I’m going to land the more
significant strikes.’ That means you don’t have knockout power.
That means it takes you that long. It doesn’t take me that long to
finish and that’s the goal this fight: Go in there to knock him out
in the first round. Go in there to knock him out. If he comes
forward, it will be done quick. If he stays smart, he might survive
a couple of minutes. But the result will be the same.”
Rahiki also expects McMillen’s aggressive style to make for an
entertaining matchup.
“It’s an entertaining fight, an entertaining style and someone who
isn’t just going to try to run away,” Rahiki added. “I think it
will be a great night for Noche UFC.”