Undefeated McMillen survives Rahiki's second-round knockdown to stay perfect at 12-0

Tommy McMillen is still undefeated at 12-0 after surviving a second-round knockdown to outpoint Marwan Rahiki by unanimous decision at Noche UFC on Saturday. All three judges scored the featherweight contest in McMillen’s favour — 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 — capping a bruising, back-and-forth three-round war.

The opening round belonged to McMillen, who landed an early takedown before the pair settled into a stand-up slugfest. A late flurry of right hands from McMillen caught Rahiki off guard as both fighters traded heavy shots through the final minute.

The second round nearly ended McMillen’s unbeaten run. Rahiki landed a sharp uppercut that put McMillen on the canvas, then swarmed with knees as McMillen went into survival mode. McMillen had earlier threatened with a D’arce choke attempt during a scramble, but it was Rahiki who came closest to a finish as he hunted for the stoppage. McMillen refused to fold, and as Rahiki’s gas tank emptied, the momentum began to shift.

In the third, McMillen seized on a tiring Rahiki and dropped him with a heavy shot of his own, then immediately looked for a submission. Rahiki defended well enough to survive, but McMillen’s sustained pressure through the final five minutes proved decisive on the scorecards.

“He had a pretty good second round, busted me up a little bit, but I knew I could out-dog him,” McMillen said after the fight, before setting his sights on a December return. “Tomorrow morning I’m going to hop on a plane to Vegas and I’ll be there on Dec. 12 waiting on my next victim and my next $100K bonus.”

The victory keeps McMillen’s perfect professional record intact and cements his growing reputation as one of the most exciting young fighters on the UFC roster.