Tommy “Gun” McMillen: The UFC’s Newest Wild Card Is Impossible to Ignore
Tommy “Gun” McMillen’s rise through the UFC has been pretty hard to miss.
The 28-year-old featherweight from Montana is now 11-0, and his first year with the UFC has already included two impressive victories and $100,000 performance bonuses in both fights.
What makes McMillen interesting isn't just the undefeated record. His personality is almost as talked-about as his fighting style. He describes himself as a modern-day rockstar someone who loves the spotlight, enjoys partying and spends his money while still being extremely serious about training and improving.
His connection to Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch also goes way back. McMillen moved from Montana to Phoenix at 18 and became part of their team, learning alongside O’Malley during the early stages of his career.
Inside the cage, McMillen doesn't seem interested in playing it safe. He prefers pressure, exchanges and entertaining fights, even though his wrestling background gives him other options. That approach helped him score a major performance against Alberto Montes, where he reportedly broke Nate Diaz's UFC record for significant strikes in a three-round fight.
Now he's facing another undefeated fighter, Marwan “Freaky” Rahiki, at Noche UFC.
The big question for me is whether McMillen's aggressive style and larger-than-life personality can carry him all the way to the top of the featherweight division.
He's clearly confident maybe more confident than almost anyone at this stage of their career. But eventually he'll have to prove that the “Tommy Gun” lifestyle can coexist with the discipline required to become an elite UFC champion.
Do you guys see McMillen becoming a legitimate contender, or is the hype getting ahead of his actual résumé?
Posted Sep 11, 2026, 3:34 PM UTC