It took Rhys McKee five tries over the course of nearly five years and two stints with the promotion, but he finally got his first octagon win Saturday at UFC on ESPN 65.
The welterweight from Northern Ireland put on a striking clinic against Daniel Frunza (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in their preliminary card bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After four knockdowns by McKee (14-6-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC) that badly swelled the eye and split the lip of his opponent, the doctor waved off the fight after the first round for the TKO (via X):
SKELETOR IS ALL GAS AND NO BREAKS@RhysMcKee | #UFCVegas105 pic.twitter.com/z0nX1ABSlN
— UFC (@ufc) April 6, 2025
Skeletor gets it done by TKO! 💥@RhysMcKee | #UFCVegas105 pic.twitter.com/QdySaL4xOp
— UFC (@ufc) April 6, 2025
It was a moment of disappointment for Frunza, who was courageous throughout the damage and wanted to fight on. But for McKee, he was proud to finally get his hand raised.
“It feels normal. It feels damn good. I’m here to stay,” McKee said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “This is just the first one. I have to thank the (UFC) for giving me the opportunity, because I’ll turn this thing around and be in the top 15.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 65 results include:
- Rhys McKee def. Daniel Frunza via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
- Loma Lookboonmee def. Istela Nunes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Victor Henry def. Pedro Falcao via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Martin Buday def. Uran Satybaldiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Talita Alencar def. Vanessa Demopoulos via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
