Tag: rhys mckee

Watch: Former UFC Fighter Rhys McKee Earns KO For CW 170lb Title

Former UFC fighter Rhys McKee is making the most of his new MMA opportunity in Cage Warriors after earning a wild knockout. McKee capped off an eventful night at CW 140 by earning the promotion’s vacant welterweight title over Justin Burlinson. After two back-and-forth rounds, McKee got after Burlinson in Round 3 and dropped him…

Continue Reading Watch: Former UFC Fighter Rhys McKee Earns KO For CW 170lb Title at MMA News.

Former UFC fighter Rhys McKee is making the most of his new MMA opportunity in Cage Warriors after earning a wild knockout.

McKee capped off an eventful night at CW 140 by earning the promotion’s vacant welterweight title over Justin Burlinson. After two back-and-forth rounds, McKee got after Burlinson in Round 3 and dropped him with a big punch to earn the belt.

Watch McKee get the finish below.

Before his win over Burlinson, McKee won his promotional debut over Aleksi Mäntykivi at CW 129 last October. This came after back-to-back losses to Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Morono in the UFC Octagon.

McKee’s second stint in Cage Warriors has proven to be his best yet. He is now the promotion’s welterweight champion just two years after a short stint in the UFC.

McKee’s knockout was preceded by finishes from Irish standouts Caolan Loughran and James Sheehan.

What is your reaction to Rhys McKee’s knockout?

Continue Reading Watch: Former UFC Fighter Rhys McKee Earns KO For CW 170lb Title at MMA News.

Rhys McKee KO’s Justin Burlinson To Capture The CW Welterweight Title – Cage Warriors 140 Highlights

Rhys McKeeAfter an unsuccssful stint in the UFC, Rhys McKee has finally claimed the Cage Warriors welterweight title he always seemed destined to hold. In the main event of Cage Warriors 140, Rhys McKee faced off against Justin Burlinson for the welterweight title in front of a passionate Belfast crowd. This fight was a pivotal one […]

Rhys McKee

After an unsuccssful stint in the UFC, Rhys McKee has finally claimed the Cage Warriors welterweight title he always seemed destined to hold.

In the main event of Cage Warriors 140, Rhys McKee faced off against Justin Burlinson for the welterweight title in front of a passionate Belfast crowd. This fight was a pivotal one for McKee, who had stepped up to the UFC on short notice, facing Khamzat Chimaev on Fight Island. Chimaev ran through McKee as he has done to everyone since. McKee was then given another extremely tough test in UFC veteran Alex Morono, whom he also came up short against. The UFC then unceremoniously cut him from the promotion.

However, he would return to Cage Warriors, the promotion where he had first garnered a reputation for being a dangerous welterweight with lethal intent. After knocking out Aleksi Mäntykivi, McKee was granted a shot at the title, against fellow top European prospect, Justin Burlinson.

‘Skeletor’ looked close to being stopped in the first round, as Burlinson took top control and rained down a flurry of brutal strikes. However, McKee was able to last out the round, and entered the second with renewed vigor.

This time it was McKee who came close to finishing the fight, opening up a nasty cut on the face of Burlinson. The fight did enter the third round, though it would last 20 more seconds. Burlinson attempted a spinning back fist, but McKee evaded, and then landed two clean strikes to send his opponent sinking to the canvas.

Check out the full highlights of Rhys McKee’s title-winning performance at Cage Warriors 140 below:

Video – Rhys McKee Loses Mouthpiece In Bizarre Fashion At UFC Vegas 14

McKeeThe common halts in action during a mixed martial arts bout can stem from accidental groin strikes and eye pokes to name a few, but last night at UFC Vegas 14 – we witnessed a rare stoppage in the third-round when Ballymena native, Rhys ‘Skeletor’ McKee dropped his mouthpiece under the Octagon. The welterweight prospect […]

McKee

The common halts in action during a mixed martial arts bout can stem from accidental groin strikes and eye pokes to name a few, but last night at UFC Vegas 14 – we witnessed a rare stoppage in the third-round when Ballymena native, Rhys ‘Skeletor’ McKee dropped his mouthpiece under the Octagon.

The welterweight prospect featured opposite veteran division mainstay, Alex ‘The Great White’ Morono in the second preliminary matchup of the night, and despite a rallying effort midway through the three-round affair, McKee dropped a unanimous decision defeat to the Fortis MMA trainee, following a high-paced start from the latter. 

The defeat marked McKee’s second in the UFC since his short-notice arrival at UFC Fight Island 3 in July, dropping a one-sided ground-and-pound stoppage defeat to streaking upstart, Khamzat ‘Borz’ Chimaev.

Failing to work behind his jab and utilise his reach advantage, McKee came up short in the pocket exchanges, with Morono finding his pace early and often, before mixing in some veteran grappling to stifle a late surge from McKee.

Stuck with his back to the fence in the clinch, McKee dropped his mouthpiece, with referee Jason Herzog calling a timeout in search for the missing equipment.

Convinced it had fallen beneath the Octagon through the steel grate walk-way, Herzog asked for outside UFC officials including fellow referee, Mark Smith to check under the Octagon for the mouthpiece, using phone torches.

McKee explained how he had a spare mouthpiece in his equipment bag back in his locker room, while Herzog told how he had actually brought his own mouthpiece with him to the UFC Apex. 

McKee, 25 arrived from standout promotion, Cage Warriors in July, and despite dropping losses to stiff competition in the form of Chimaev and Morono, former two-weight world champion, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor had some words of encouragement for the Northern Irelander, urging him to embrace his setbacks as lessons.

“Incredible display again @KatieTaylor! Phenomenal! Also unlucky tonight to @RhysMcKee in UFC competition. Head up, stay the course! We take lessons from our wins, we take lessons from our losses. Embrace it all and move forward! Congrats guys, great fighting! #IrishFighting“

In response, McKee thanked McGregor for his words of encouragement, maintaining how his pair of Octagon setbacks will make for an interesting chapter when he eventually calls time on his career.

“I appreciate it Conor (McGregor), frustrating right now but it will make a good story! Thanks champ!.“

Khamzat Chimaev Batters Rhys McKee With Ease – UFC Fight Island 3 Results

Chimaev McKeeKicking off the UFC Fight Island 3 main card is a welterweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Rhys McKee. Round 1: Right away, Chimaev grabs McKee and drags him on the feet before taking him down. Chimaev takes his back and starts to land heavy ground and pound. McKeev turns but gives up full mount. […]

Chimaev McKee

Kicking off the UFC Fight Island 3 main card is a welterweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Rhys McKee.

Round 1: Right away, Chimaev grabs McKee and drags him on the feet before taking him down. Chimaev takes his back and starts to land heavy ground and pound. McKeev turns but gives up full mount. McKee gets out but receives hard hammerfists. Chimaev looks for the choke but decides to land strikes instead. He continues the onslaught before the referee sees enough and ends the fight.

Official result:

Khamzat Chimaev Gets Quick Turnaround, Will Face Rhys McKee On July 25

khamzat chimaevKhamzat Chimaev will fight for a second time in 10 days on July 25 after being matched against UFC newcomer Rhys McKee who has accepted the fight on 7 days’ notice. Brett Okamoto first broke the news that Chimaev had his second ‘Fight Island’ fight lined up and his opponent would most likely be McKee, […]

khamzat chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev will fight for a second time in 10 days on July 25 after being matched against UFC newcomer Rhys McKee who has accepted the fight on 7 days’ notice.

Brett Okamoto first broke the news that Chimaev had his second ‘Fight Island’ fight lined up and his opponent would most likely be McKee, he wrote on social media.

“UFC serious about booking ‘The Wolf’ Khamzat Chimaev a second fight on Fight Island, after his impressive debut on Wednesday. Current front runner for opponent is Ireland’s Rhys McKee. This would be at welterweight. 185 debut on 7/15, 170 sophomore appearance on 7/25.”

The Sweedish fighter made an impressive UFC debut on July 15 when he faced John Phillips up at middleweight. Chimaev dominated the fight from the opening bell using his elite-level wrestling to take the fight to the floor where he unleashed nasty ground and pound in round one.

The opening five minutes were so dominant it earned him two 10-8 scores and one 10-7 from the judges. In the second round, he once again took the fight to the mat and it was there, he locked up D’Arce choke and found the finish.

Chimaev spoke post-fight about wanting to fight the big-name welterweight fighters as soon as possible. He even mentioned Nate Diaz and former champion Robbie Lawler but he took special time out to chastise Mike Perry who has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons as of late.

Popular Irish fighter McKee is currently riding a three-fight win streak. Last time out he stopped Hakon Foss inside one round. He holds a high-profile win over former Cage Warriors lightweight champion Jai Herbert who is also due to make his UFC debut on July 25.

The welterweight fighter will make his debut on the undercard of  Darren Till vs. Robert Whittaker. McKee will need to pass several COVID-19 tests, undergo quarantine and fly to Abu Dhabi before he can fight next weekend.

Are you excited to see Khamzat Chimaev fight again next weekend?