Tommy McMillen Is 11-0 and Breaking Nate Diaz's Striking Record

Tommy McMillen has fought twice in the UFC and walked away with two knockouts and two Performance Bonuses. He's 11-0 overall with 10 finishes, and against Alberto Montes in Oklahoma City he landed 252 significant strikes in a three-round fight — enough to break Nate Diaz's record for most landed over 15 minutes. That's not a bad opening act for a guy who signed off Dana White's Contender Series less than a year ago, in September 2025.

The 28-year-old from Montana isn't hiding what motivates him. He told UFC.com he's a kid who likes to fight, likes to party, and likes expensive things — which is exactly why he says he chases the $100k bonus every time the cage door shuts. So far the math is working. Two fights, two checks.

The Formula

McMillen trains out of Red Hawk Academy under Tim Welch and Sean O'Malley, and his split record — five KOs and five submissions — hints at a genuinely rounded skillset. But he doesn't want to submit anyone. He wants to plant his feet and swing. When Montes, a 12-2 grappler with seven submission wins, said he'd meet fire with fire, McMillen took that as an invitation. He walked forward early, trusted his chin, and melted the Venezuelan by the third round.

His debut was tidier: a first-round TKO of Manolo Zecchini, finished off a knee. Zecchini, now 11-5, had nine knockouts of his own on his ledger. McMillen went through him and then, by his own account, partied in Las Vegas for roughly three days without sleep. After Montes, another all-nighter.

The Discipline Underneath

For all the noise, there's a routine buried in there. McMillen said he went sober about four weeks out from his debut and cleaned up seven weeks ahead of his second fight. He's candid that when there's no fight booked, staying sober and out of trouble is a struggle — for him, it's either train or party, no middle setting. Booking fights, in other words, is how he keeps himself honest.

The wildest part might be the bank balance. Despite the posts and the boasts, McMillen said he hasn't touched the bonus money yet — he's saving for a house first, Lamborghinis later. He'll still spend on clothes, sushi and the occasional casino, but the flash is more branding than reality. He's also proud that his following already dwarfs plenty of UFC veterans, which for an unranked prospect is a real asset.

Next up is Marwan Rahiki at Noche UFC in Arizona on September 12 — a card McMillen effectively called for himself. The plan, he says, is simple: a knockout, a third straight bonus, dinner at his favorite Scottsdale sushi spot, then whatever the night brings. He's happy for fans to find him afterward and buy him a drink. On current form, betting against him would be the harder position to defend.