This weekend, the UFC heads to Glendale, Arizona, for its much-anticipated Noche Fight Night event, but tensions have already started to rise. Two undefeated prospects, Tommy McMillen (11-0) and Marwan Rahiki (9-0), were recently involved in a serious confrontation ahead of their fight that quickly turned physical.
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A viral video from the scuffle showed McMillen and Rahiki going face-to-face at the fighters’ hotel in Arizona. While the two were initially trading barbs at each other, things quickly went south. Surrounded by members of their respective teams, the two suddenly began pushing each other before security intervened and separated the featherweights. Neither fighter appeared to suffer any injuries, but the incident added another layer of intrigue to an already heated matchup. Following the confrontation, ‘Gun’ gave his version of what happened.
“I popped up here in the elevator, and that’s the first kid I saw,” McMillen told reporters during the UFC Noche media day. “And he was there with eight of his teammates. And I’m sitting here with my little brother, John, and my striking coach, JJ. And I got right in his face right away. He tried to touch me. I pushed him out of my face. And, you know, I told him he looks like a scrawny little b—h.
“And Saturday night, I’m going to make him look like my little brother. And then, yeah. So, I mean, I think I already kind of proved that wrong. Security had to break it up. I don’t like that kid. He doesn’t like me. He thinks this is all fun and games. Like, I’m the kid that will actually go fight this kid in a parking lot. He’s not like that at all.”
While the 28-year-old did not explain what initially triggered the confrontation, judging from their face-off, the incident appears to have been another result of the trash talk that has built up between the two prospects.
Rahiki, for his part, has also made it clear that he expects the fight to end quickly. In a recent interview with CBS, the Moroccan-Australian predicted a finish in the “first or second” round, pointing to what he sees as McMillen’s tendency to make crucial mistakes during fights. Rahiki also believes his age could work in his favor, with the 24-year-old holding a four-year advantage over his opponent.
Those comments help explain some of the tension seen in the hotel footage, where McMillen accused Rahiki of “running his mouth” ahead of their matchup. With both men still undefeated and only one of them able to leave the Octagon with that record intact, neither appears willing to back down before fight night this Saturday.
The confrontation is also consistent with McMillen’s personality. The 28-year-old has previously used trash talk to build interest around his fights, including his last matchup against Alberto Montes. This time, however, the verbal exchanges crossed into a physical confrontation.
Still, McMillen and Rahiki are far from the first UFC fighters to have a heated encounter at a fighter hotel. In fact, another high-profile feud played out in almost identical circumstances just four months ago.
The time Josh Hokit confronted Alex Pereira at UFC fighter’s hotel in June
Ever since Alex Pereira announced his move to heavyweight, Josh Hokit has consistently criticized the Brazilian star. The Californian has repeatedly taken shots at the former champion and even found himself removed from the first UFC White House press conference in Newark in May after making derogatory remarks about Pereira’s mother, which led to a brief scuffle between Hokit and Ilia Topuria.
The confrontation did not end there. Days before the UFC Freedom 250 card, Hokit and Pereira crossed paths again at the fighters’ hotel in Washington, D.C. The 28-year-old immediately began hurling insults at ‘Poatan’ after spotting him in the hotel lobby, with the exchange taking place in front of members of the UFC crew.
“Hey, what’s up, dog!” Hokit said. “You’re a p—y. That’s why you don’t say anything. P—y!”
Hokit continued shouting as he moved toward the elevator with his teammate, but Pereira chose not to respond. The former two-division champion continued walking without engaging with Hokit, seemingly aware that the two were not scheduled to fight each other that night.
That decision also made sense given what was at stake. Pereira was preparing to face Ciryl Gane at the White House event, while Hokit had his own matchup against Derrick Lewis. Neither man needed an additional distraction before stepping into the Octagon.
McMillen and Rahiki, however, will not have that luxury. The two undefeated prospects are scheduled to settle their differences inside the cage, meaning the physical confrontation at the hotel could be just the latest chapter in their rivalry.
Now, with their featherweight bout approaching on September 12, the question is whether all the tension between McMillen and Rahiki will produce the kind of action their heated buildup has promised.