Unbeaten Riley targets McMillen and predicts first-round KO in UFC featherweight clash

Luke Riley has set his sights on a showdown with Tommy McMillen, predicting he would stop the undefeated American inside the first round if the UFC arranges the featherweight clash. The Liverpool fighter, a teammate of Paddy Pimblett, revealed he is likely to return to the Octagon in December in Las Vegas.

Riley stopped short of an official callout but made his intentions clear when asked about McMillen during an interview with Ronins MMA. “Me and Tommy would have a great fight,” Riley said. “Look, I like Tommy. He’s bringing the fire back to the division. I like what he’s doing. So, me and Tommy would have a great fight. I would knock Tommy out in Round 1. 100%.”

The Englishman carries a 14-0 professional record and has finished two of his three UFC victories since making his promotional debut last year. His most recent outing was a first-round stoppage of Kai Kamaka III in July, a result that underlines the finishing threat he believes he would bring to any meeting with McMillen.

McMillen, a teammate of former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, is equally unblemished at 12-0 and has also finished two of his three UFC bouts since debuting in April. The American has earned a performance bonus for each of his Octagon appearances, most recently defeating Marwan Rahiki — handing the prospect his first professional loss — in a three-round contest widely regarded as a Fight of the Year contender at Noche UFC 4.

Riley acknowledged McMillen’s growing profile and the attention he has brought to the featherweight division, framing the potential matchup as a genuine crowd-pleaser rather than a grudge fight. Whether the UFC opts to book the all-unbeaten collision in December remains to be seen, but both fighters’ finishing records and rising trajectories make it a compelling option for the promotion.