On Saturday night, former Cage Warriors champion Rhys McKee is heading into the UFC Apex for the fight of his life; a career-defining moment for the Ballymena man.
As fight night rapidly approaches, we take a look back McKee’s standout moments in the Famous Yellow Gloves!
Versus Jefferson George at CW 100
“No half measures, I’m coming to have the greatest debut Cage Warriors has ever seen!”
That was the battle cry for Rhys McKee ahead of his long awaited promotional debut at CW 100 in 2018.
It was a performance that certainly lived up to billing; the Irishman was able to clear out feared striker Jefferson George in just shy of a single round, kicking off an epic run in the Famous Yellow Gloves.
Versus Perry Andre Goodwin at CW 102
McKee’s next outing under the CW banner came against another man known for his propensity for crowd-pleasing, blood ‘n’ guts wars.
Perry Goodwin is the very definition of a smash-mouth fighter; once he’s in a high gear, there’s very little getting him out of it.
When the pair met at CW 102, there could only be one winner…the fans.
Versus Aleksi Mäntykivi at CW 129
Many felt that ‘Skeletor’ had been hard done by following his UFC release, but McKee wasn’t about to sit around wondering ‘What If?’
After taking some time to rest and reset, he was right back under the spotlight against one of the CW welterweight division’s most durable fist-fighters.
Much like Goodwin, Aleksi Mäntykivi was a fighter with no reverse gear. It was exactly the kind of fight McKee – and the fans – wanted, and exactly the kind of fight they got.
Versus Justin Burlinson at CW 140
If you’ve seen it, you already know. If you haven’t, just treat yourself and watch the whole thing.
Never has a hometown crowd witnessed such a rollercoaster of emotions as the Belfast faithful did that day.
The entire building – not to mention the millions watching around the world via UFC Fight Pass – were put through the wringer as McKee and Justin Burlinson engaged in a blood-splattered ultraviolent thrill-ride of a fight.
Versus Jim Wallhead at CW 153
The final chapter in McKee’s Cage Warriors story was a typically epic conclusion for the Ballymena man.
With two athletes holding a version of the CW welterweight gold, the division needed unifying. It felt like so much more than that though: McKee and Wallhead wasn’t just a fight between champion and interim champion, it was a battle of generations.
Rhys McKee faces Daniel Frunza this Saturday, April 5th at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy. You can watch all his Cage Warriors and UFC appearances in full on UFC Fight Pass!
Cage Warriors returns to shine a spotlight on the next generation of Irish MMA superstars on Saturday, April 26th!
