UFC: Cory McKenna targets summer return after 'rough run' of health
- Published
Cory McKenna is based in the United States to pursue her UFC ambitions
Welsh strawweight Cory McKenna is targeting a summer return after a "rough run" of health.
The Cwmbran fighter improved her professional record to 8-2 with a unanimous victory over American favourite Cheyanne Vlismas at UFC Vegas 66 in December.
But afterwards the 23-year-old suffered from multiple illnesses, which included an emergency visit to hospital.
"It's been a pretty rough run," McKenna told BBC Sport Wales.
Fighting illness
"I got sick on fight week on the Tuesday, I had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
"On fight day a couple of guys in my corner were looking at each other with me wheezing but we managed to get it done.
"The next day I woke up and I was messed up, I was out of it going through the airport - I basically had to be brought through the airport all delirious so I was in bed for about three weeks with that.
"I then got a really bad stomach virus that put me in the emergency room and shortly afterwards I got Covid."
Now she is back to full health, McKenna is looking to build on the back-to-back victories which ended 2022 and move up the strawweight division.
She has her sights set on becoming ranked [top 15].
"That's the play, that's goal," she said.
"Depending on who they throw at me, how the fights go and my health, I would love that but I'm not going to put too much stake in being like 'I want this by the end of 2023.'"
McKenna went into the fight against Vlismas as an underdog, and admits it is a tag she is more than happy to take.
"Honestly I prefer it. I always joke that if you set expectations low you can't do anything but impress people, so I feel like it takes pressure off.
"I'm now fighting these girls who are highly talented prospects.
"Cheyanne had a lot of hype around her and I know she'd had a little lay-off, but everyone was touting her as the next big thing and she got thrown my way."
L-R: Jack Mason, Cory McKenna, Hector Fajardo, Urijah Faber
The ring outside the ring
Despite battling illness, McKenna summoned the strength to go for a walk with her partner, fellow mixed martial artist Hector Fajardo, after December's fight.
Her coaching team were keen to make sure that Fajardo would have a window of opportunity after the bout to propose.
"Urijah [Faber] and Jack [Mason] were so excited that they actually kind of ruined the surprise a little bit, but it was adorable!
"They were like, 'no, no, you two should go, have some time alone!', and I was 'okay, subtle!'
"We've got a lot of great memories there so it tied in perfectly."
McKenna says having a partner in the same profession has been really beneficial and makes "life a lot easier".
"We eat clean, we're both in the gym seven days a week.
"There's never 'oh just skip the gym for me', 'why have you got to do this?' or 'I want to do this instead.'
"It's always 100 per cent support and that's what you need as an athlete."
Behind the mic
During her spell on the sidelines McKenna enjoyed doing commentary for A1 Combat.
"I've started to feel a bit more confident in everything," she said.
"At first it's a bit nerve racking because if you mess up one little thing you'll have 100 trolls giving you grief.
"It's definitely a different kind of nerves to the fighting but I think it's a good opportunity and allows you to be more analytical of fights, break stuff down and implement your knowledge of your sport in a different avenue.
"I've been having fun with the other opportunities MMA opens up for you and I'd like to keep making career moves inside and outside the UFC cage.