Tommy McMillen maintained his unbeaten record tonight at UFC Fight Night 288 (aka Noche UFC 4) with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Marwan Rahiki in a thrilling back-and-forth scrap.
Round One
Big head kick attempt from McMilen to start. McMillen with a right hand and then immediately closes the distance and gets an early takedown.
McMillen quickly working for an arm-triangle, but doesn’t get it and Rahiki is able to stand.
Oblique kick from McMillen. McMillen lands a couple of big punches. McMillen with another head kick attempt and a punch behind it.
Spinning back kick from Rahiki. Right hand for McMillen. Rahiki presses forward behind the jab. Punch for McMillen.
Right hand scores for Rahiki. Both fire off punches at close range and Rahiki lands a knee.
Jab for McMillen. Grazes the target with a hook too in a brief exchange. A couple of jabs for McMillen. High kick attempt from Rahiki.
Rahiki steps forward and lands a right hand. Body kick and a leg kick from Rahiki.
Push kick from McMillen. Calf kick for Rahiki. Jab from McMillen. McMillen with a big right hand. Rahiki lands a punch and McMillen responds with one of his own.
Body kick for McMillen. Now one from Rahiki. Push kick for McMillen. Reaching right hand from McMillen lands, then misses on a spinning head kick.
The round ends and they exchange some words in the center of the Octagon before returning to their corners.
Round Two
Spinning back kick to the body from McMillen. Now a hard spinning kick to the midsection from Rahiki.
McMillen presses forward with a solid combination of punches. Jab for Rahiki. McMillen snatches on a guillotine choke and snaps him down with it, but Rahiki escapes and stands.
Calf kicks for Rahiki. Trip takedown from Rahiki, but McMillen gets right back up.
McMillen looking for head strikes while Rahiki rips to the body. Rahiki lands upstairs again.
McMillen clinches up and gets to the cage, but Rahiki breaks free.
Left uppercut counter from Rahiki drops McMillen, but he gets back up!
McMillen’s legs are still wobbling as they get fight on. Rahiki lands again. Somehow McMillen grins through his dazed state and continues fighting.
Jab from Rahiki, but he’s looking a bit more tired now. McMillen starts putting together a few solid punches, while Rahiki is looking for jabs.
Late in the round McMillen manages to get a takedown and is trying to work for a submission. He changes things up, going for a d’arce choke, but quickly gives up on that and the round comes to a close.
Round Three
McMillen fires off a right hand. Missed spinning elbow from Rahiki. Big throw from Rahiki. He hops onto the back but slides off. They get back up and McMillen lands a big takedown.
McMillen trying to set up a front choke, but Rahiki gets back up to striking range.
Thunderous right hand from McMillen floors Rahiki! He follows him down with another punch and goes to side control.
McMillen moves to north-south. He tries to get a choke in, but Rahiki quickly gets out of that. Rahiki keeps switching from his back to his knees, while McMillen stays in north-south position.
McMillen getting the choke in again, but he just can’t keep it locked in and Rahiki manages to get to his feet.
McMillen is right back on him with aggressive pressure, throwing punches and knees. McMillen gets Rahiki down to all fours again. Knee to the body from ‘Gun’. He’s trying for a rear-naked choke, but nothing doing.
Punches to the body from McMillen, but Rahiki gets back up. Knee upstairs from McMillen. He’s throwing wild punches now despite being tired. He comes close with a head kick and continues pushing the action in the final few seconds.
Decision
What a crazy fight that was then, with both undefeated fighters having to fight through knockdowns to take this to a judges decision. Rahiki was able to drop ‘Gun’ in the second round, but McMillen refused to quit and returned the favor in the third round as he floored his rival and then continued to attack relentlessly to emerge with a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x2, 29-27).
