Tommy McMillen Headlines Noche UFC's Class of Rising Prospects

Noche UFC has a short but loud track record of minting contenders. Since it landed on the calendar in 2023, the event has launched Jack Della Maddalena and current flyweight champ Joshua Van, and last year in San Antonio it handed key wins to Daniil Donchenko (now 16-2), Alden Coria and David Martinez. On Saturday, a fresh batch of prospects gets its shot — and Tommy McMillen sits at the front of the line.

McMillen is the story here. The Red Hawk Academy product came off Dana White's Contender Series a year ago and has done nothing but win, sitting at 11-0 as a pro with back-to-back UFC finishes and matching Performance Bonuses. He iced Manolo Zecchnini in the first round in April, then broke down fellow DWCS grad Alberto Montes for a third-round stoppage in July — a result that dropped Montes to 12-2.

The O'Malley Blueprint, With a Wrinkle

McMillen followed the exact geography of his mentor, former bantamweight king Sean O'Malley — Montana to Arizona, training under Tim Welch. The curls and the ink track too. But the 28-year-old "Gun" has fought grittier than early O'Malley, leaning on volume rather than one-punch power, with wrestling credentials he hasn't had to unpack yet. Notably, he asked to be booked on this card. The UFC said yes.

That request comes with a live test. Moroccan-born Australian Marwan Rahiki is 2-0 in the UFC and 9-0 overall, with a perfect 100-percent finish rate. The 24-year-old battered ex-Cage Warriors champ Harry Hardwick in his debut, then blew through short-notice replacement Ollie Schmid in Perth in May. Two unbeaten finishers, one octagon — that's the kind of matchup Noche UFC exists to make.

Rongzhu's Second Act

Elsewhere, few careers illustrate the danger of being rushed like Rongzhu's. The Chinese lightweight debuted at UFC 261 a month after turning 21, lost a decision to Kazula Vargas, got submitted by Ignacio Bahamondes and was cut. He rebuilt at City Kickboxing, ran the Road to UFC Season 2 tournament with three wins in under nine months, and is now 26 with three straight victories, including a beating of Victor Martinez last time out.

He meets Rafa Garcia, who has quietly built the same three-fight streak and is 5-1 over his last six after edging Alexander Hernandez in April. Garcia could just as easily headline this list. That's the point — the depth on Saturday's card runs deeper than the marquee, and the fighter who exploits it best walks away with the biggest jump in profile.