LAS VEGAS – With “the world is yours” and Al Pacino’s “Scarface” the most outstanding of his tattoo collage across his chest and troopers, Tommy McMillen walked on the dais with his fingers raised and took his place on the dais.
McMillen had just impressed the META Apex crowd of a whole bunch with a first-round TKO of Manolo Zecchini on Saturday, half of the UFC Fight Night 272 major card, and he had lots to say – particularly since he did not get any mic time after being transported to a hospital immediately after profitable a conflict last September on Dana White’s Contender Series. Also, this is a man who spends a lot of time in the fitness center with his good buddy and coaching associate, former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.
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Being braggadocious is not that arduous for McMillen.
“I said in all my interviews I was gonna go out and dominate this kid in a violent fashion, and that’s exactly what I did tonight,” said McMillen, who earned a Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts. “… A lot of people said I couldn’t knock that kid out. They thought I was gonna sub him out. I know that kid’s got like 10 or 11 knockout finishes, and I went in there, stood toe to toe, and I broke him in the first round.”
That was McMillen’s evaluation of his UFC debut, but there’s a larger image about him that he needs followers to perceive.
“I was here to prove a point tonight,” McMillen said. “Every time I fight, I’m chasing bonus money. You can expect that from all my fights.”
McMillen, 28, stayed undefeated in his profession at 10-0 after the win over Zecchini (11-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC). McMillen said he would like to battle three more occasions this yr and after profitable those fights, he’d be prepared to call out someone ranked in the high 15.
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While some fighters might like to slow-play their rise in the UFC, McMillen is the reverse – and that’s at least, in half, because he’s not overly impressed with the present make-up of the featherweight division.
“I don’t really think too much about any other fighters, but I know I have a lot more to offer than a lot of these dudes,” McMillen said. “I see guys in the top 15 that don’t have as big of followings as me, that don’t know how to engage with fans. You know, it’s like they don’t even know what to do, how to do their job properly. I think this is what I was born to do. This is genuinely fun for me. I love everything about it. I’m here to go straight to the top. I will become the 145-pound champion of the world. I know people are gonna say stuff about that, but people have been saying stuff about me my whole life. I don’t care. I’m gonna keep winning, keep cashing my checks and keep living the dream, baby.”
He added, “My dream fight is whoever has the f*cking belt when I’m there and ready to get it. And I think that’s gonna be a lot quicker than most people realize. We’ll be there soon.”
This article initially appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean O’Malley buddy ‘here to go straight to the high’ after UFC debut
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