UFC Vegas 14: Cory McKenna to become first Welsh woman in UFC

"In five years' time, you'll be signing this kid."

Dana White has probably heard that from hundreds of proud parents during his 19 years as UFC president.

But this Saturday, Cory McKenna becomes the first Welsh woman to fight in the UFC after proving her mother's confidence was well placed.

Wendy McKenna took her daughter, then aged 14, to a UFC event in Manchester in October 2013, where they managed to steal a moment with the UFC chief.

"We had really good seats," the fighter, now 21, told BBC Sport. "Dana walked past and Mum did the cringiest thing ever.

"She grabbed him and said 'in five years' time, you'll be signing her'. I was like 'oh no', I just wanted to die.

"Seven years later, here we are. It's a bit behind schedule but, as embarrassing as it was, my mum was right."

Her mother's prediction may have been slightly out, but McKenna still became the youngest British fighter to be awarded a UFC contract after she beat Vanessa Demopoulos during Dana White's Contender Series in August.

The Cwmbran strawweight then posted blurry shots of that first meeting on Instagram, along with a new picture with White and UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.

McKenna has chosen Faber's Team Alpha Male gym in Sacramento as her US base and made an immediate impression on the retired American fighter - with both her work ethic and her accent.

She actually sounds more English than Welsh as she spent her school years in Colchester, where her dad was based in the army, but any Welsh twang is lost on the ears of the 'California Kid' anyway.

McKenna, who is 5ft 3in, said: "I was nicknamed 'the Hobbit' at my first gym but I've conceded and let Urijah change it to 'Poppins'. He loves it, he thinks it's hilarious.

"Even when guys with a thick Welsh accent come over, he thinks we [British] all sound the same.

"All the coaches there have really invested in me, and Urijah's been amazing. If he sees people working hard, he has a lot of respect for them, so he took me under his wing. He's so busy but finds time to train me every single day.

"He's one of the most selfless men I know. He really goes above and beyond. He let me stay at his house at one point so he's really helped me out and I'm so grateful for that."

'She's sweet - but when she gets in there she's a killer'

McKenna began her amateur career in 2014 and first visited Team Alpha the year after, during a family holiday to look at potential gyms for when she turned professional.

She says she is "so naturally ungifted" and tried "every sport you can think of" before discovering MMA at the BKK Fighters gym in Colchester.

And after gym-mate Arnold Allen signed with the UFC in 2015, she made a bet with the current number eighth-ranked featherweight that she'd be signed at a younger age.

"I beat him by like a week," she said. "It was just pride on the line, but I've told him to take the 'L' like a champ and move on."

McKenna's parents said if she wanted to become a full-time fighter, she had to get straight As in her GCSEs.

She did just that, yet looking at her drawings and paintings on Instagram, you would be surprised to hear she didn't take art.

"I've always drawn, although funnily enough, my art teacher told me 'your technique sucks'," laughed McKenna.

"I've been doing a lot more in lockdown, although I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I do get quite frustrated. I'm naturally competitive."

Indeed, White doesn't expect 'Poppins' to be offering any spoonfuls of sugar in the octagon, saying "she's sweet as can be, but when she gets in there she's a killer".

• UFC: 'I knew it would happen one day' - Cory McKenna

'Give me a few years and let me prove I'm the best in the world'

McKenna, who favours grappling, started her pro career with Cage Warriors in 2018 and now splits her time between south Wales and Sacramento.

She's been training at Team Alpha since improving her pro record to 5-1 with the unanimous decision against Demopoulos in August, when she was seen as the underdog.

White said he was willing to give McKenna an opportunity in the UFC despite being "on the fence", and she makes her debut at UFC Vegas 14 against American Kay Hansen, also 21 - the only current UFC fighter younger than her.

"I think Dana was trying to build a bit of tension, a bit of suspense," said McKenna. "I've fought the toughest girls outside the UFC so there wasn't really anywhere to go.

"I took the [last] fight at short notice, and the lockdown in the UK was a lot stricter, so I wasn't at my max. Now I've been able to focus and put in a full training camp, I can go out there and show everyone what I'm capable of.

"Those accolades about my age and where I'm from are awesome, but my eyes are set on that championship title. There's a long road to go and it starts on Saturday. Give me a few years and let me prove I'm the best in the world."

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