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By Chris Saunders
Cory ‘Poppins’ McKenna makes her eagerly-awaited UFC debut on Saturday as the Cwmbran fighter looks to lay-down her MMA marker in Las Vegas
The 21-year-old’s spot in the prelims at UFC Fight Night 183 follows the dominant performance against Vanessa Demopoulos on Dana White’s Contender Series in August.
That earned her a contract with the biggest MMA promotion in the world and the dual honour of becoming the youngest Brit and first Welsh female in the UFC.
McKenna will make her debut in Las Vegan on Saturday against another 21-year-old in Kay Hansen – and she can’t wait to make her bow.
“I think this fight has potential to be Fight of the Night material,” said McKenna.
“I took the last fight on short notice and at a time where there were very few training sessions available in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so now that I have been able to put a full camp in, I look forward to showing everyone what I am capable of.
“Experience wise it is pretty even due to me having such an extensive amateur career and I don’t really regard age as a factor that comes into play.
“I truly believe that I am the hardest working athlete in the division and have left no stone unturned, so I think my mentality and work ethic will give me all the edge I need.
“I think we’re both very young, passionate, hungry and driven to get that win so I think it’s going to be a very exciting fight in terms of we’re both going to be hunting for those finishes.”
Though from the outside her meteoric rise may seem like a fairytale story of overnight success, the opportunity is richly deserved.
After dedicating her life to training in various disciplines of martial arts, the woman formerly known as ‘the Hobbit’ built up an undefeated amateur career before turning professional at the age of just 18 and carving out an impressive 5-1 record against the cream of the crop.
That streak culminated in that famous victory which paved the way for this latest stage of her career. “She’s sweet, but when she gets in there she’s a killer,” said UFC president Dana White on awarding McKenna a shot at the big time.
Standing in her way is another highly-rated prospect in 21-year old Californian Kay Hansen, who has also turned some heads in her ascent to the top.
After being plucked from the Invicta promotion, her UFC debut in June resulted in an impressive arm-bar stoppage of Jinh Yu Frey which earned her a Performance of the Night award, and she currently boasts a record of seven wins against three losses.
Despite styling herself on Ronda Rousey, the fact that Hansen was also a professional boxer at one time suggests she favours a striking approach which could play right into McKenna’s hands.
No doubt her time at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento under the tutelage of UFC great Urijah Faber will stand her in good stead and help her enforce her will over her opponent come fight day.
McKenna is the bookies underdog for this one, but that won’t phase her in the slightest as it’s a position she’s familiar with.
Let’s not forget she was also the underdog in the pairing with Vanessa Demopoulos from which she emerged victorious. The truth of the matter is that when you’re expected to lose, all the pressure is heaped onto your opponent.
In addition to her well-rounded skill-set, one thing McKenna is known for is her durability. “At the end of the day it’s about heart and desire,” she says. “You have to want to get in there, and be willing to push yourself to the limit every day. You have to give it 100%.”
Fight Night 183, headlined by a bout between UFC veterans Paul Felder and Rafael dos Anjos, could have huge implications for the future of the UFC’s stacked women’s strawweight division.
Not only does it showcase the match-up between McKenna and Hansen, but it is also set to feature Ashley Yoder versus Miranda Granger and Randa Markos versus Kanako Murata. By close-of-play, the list of contenders waiting to challenge China’s Zhang Weili for her title could look very different.
These are exciting times for Welsh MMA fans, with several high-profile athletes representing the principality in the famed UFC Octagon and the likes of Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones widely tipped to follow in their footsteps after a historic win over Adam Proctor made him the first person to hold two Cage Warriors world titles simultaneously since Conor McGregor.
“I don’t know what it is about the Welsh that makes us such good athletes,” McKenna told Dai Sport recently. “I think it’s down to pure work ethic and a never-say-die attitude.
“We don’t ask anyone for any favours, and when the going gets tough we dig in and grind out a result. We must be doing something right, because it appears we might be heading for a spell of Welsh dominance in the UFC!”
This could very well be the start of a new chapter and one thing is for certain, come Saturday night we’ll be in for a heck of a tear-up.
