Unbeaten McMillen volunteers as UFC 333 backup, insists he can dust Volkanovski and Evloev

Tommy McMillen has volunteered to serve as the backup fighter for the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi, declaring he has the tools to beat any man in the world at 145 pounds.

The 28-year-old made the offer ahead of his own fight at Noche UFC in Glendale, Arizona, where he faces fellow undefeated prospect Marwan Rahiki in the featured bout. McMillen is 2-0 in the octagon this year, with both victories coming by finish and earning post-fight bonuses.

The bold claim follows a clip that circulated last month from an interview in which McMillen appeared to say he would defeat Volkanovski. He was quick to add context, but stopped well short of walking back the underlying confidence.

“That was a clip taken a little bit out of context,” McMillen told MMA Fighting. “Don’t get me wrong — the first question I got asked was who is the GOAT at 145. I said the GOAT at 145 does have to be Volk. He’s earned his spot as a GOAT. But then the question was, do I think I could win? And yes, 100 percent.”

McMillen points to his unusual physical profile as the foundation of that belief. Standing 6‘6” and walking around at 220 pounds, he is a rare frame for the featherweight division, and he argues that combined with a lifelong wrestling background makes him a matchup problem for anyone.

“I don’t think there’s a guy in this world at 145 pounds I can’t beat,” he said. “I’m a f*cking big 45er. I have that in my arsenal, and then you add the fact that I’ve been wrestling my whole life. I can stop people’s wrestling if I need to.”

Volkanovski, who successfully defended his belt earlier this year with a lopsided decision over Diego Lopes in their rematch, will make his next title defence against Evloev, who earned the shot with a decision win over Lerone Murphy at UFC London in March.

McMillen’s immediate focus is Rahiki, who is also 2-0 in the UFC with two stoppages and enters Saturday’s bout as a slight favourite. The matchup between two unbeaten prospects has built considerable buzz in the weeks leading up to Noche UFC, and McMillen is treating it as the platform from which to launch a title conversation in earnest.