Does WMMA have a potential new star?

[GoldenAzazel]

I'm not sure if anybody caught Cage Warriors last night, but the opening fight of the main card featured the Team Alpha Male fighter Cory McKenna, making her pro debut.

Spoiler alert, but she won at the end of the first round making her opponent quit on the stool after very dominant round, beating her standing up and landed vicious ground and pound when it got to the mat. Her opponent was twice her age and had a record of 3-1-1.

The British prospect McKenna is now unbeaten in 8 fights (1-0 pro, 7-0 amateur) and is only 18 years old.

Now, I'm not saying she's some undiscovered GOAT, but what I will say is the support for her last night at the Newport Centre was unreal. The whole crowd was behind her and if she get that going in her pro debut, then who's to say what type of fan base she could draw. Cage Warriors seem to be doing well enough promoting Molly McCann seeing as she just headlined in a 11,000 capacity arena, so I'd love to see McKenna be the next big thing.

 

[Frank23]

I don't see it.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

I don't see it.

Nah? Training out of a camp like Team Alpha Male and beating fighters twice her age makes me think she's got potential. Molly McCann just headlined Cage Warriors 90 in a 11k capacity arena. If the British fans can bring it like the Liverpudlians then I can see her becoming a lot bigger. It's obviously early days yet, but if she gets to 5-0 or 6-0 I could see UFC jumping on the bandwagon too.

 

[Frank23]

Nah? Training out of a camp like Team Alpha Male and beating fighters twice her age makes me think she's got potential. Molly McCann just headlined Cage Warriors 90 in a 11k capacity arena. If the Welsh fans can bring it like the Liverpudlians then I can see her becoming a lot bigger. It's obviously early days yet, but if she gets to 5-0 or 6-0 I could see UFC jumping on the bandwagon too.

I hope she does well. It's very early.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

I hope she does well. It's very early.

Agreed, but this is WMMA we're talking about. Fighters like Cynthia Calvillo, Rose Namajunas, and Paige Van Zant all got into the UFC with less than 5 fights on their record and already had losses. Never too early to keep an eye on these things.

 

[BobsyaUncle]

The Welsh prospect McKenna

She's English I believe.

Ahhh no I've found a reference to her being from Cwmbran now.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

She's English I believe.

Last night they introduced her as fighting out of Wales. I just looked it up and it does say she's English though. Thanks for that! I'll change it OP.

 

[BobsyaUncle]

Last night They introduced her as fighting out of Wales. I just looked it up and it does say she's English though. Thanks for that! I'll change it In the OP.

I've dug around and it seems like she does have Welsh links, lived there as a child and now back there training (Tillery Combat MMA Academy) when she's in the UK.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

I've dug around and it seems like she does have Welsh links, lived there as a child and now back there training (Tillery Combat MMA Academy) when she's in the UK.

Thanks. I was starting to think I was just an idiot haha although that could still be true.

Anyway, did you see her fight last night? If so, what did you think and am I jumping the gun a little?

 

[BobsyaUncle]

Thanks. I was starting to think I was just an idiot haha although that could still be true.

Anyway, did you see her fight last night? If so, what did you think and am I jumping the gun a little?

I didn't, no. But your post has piqued my interest. From the little I've read, it sounds like she has been immersed in MMA from a young age and Jack Mason speaks really highly of her. Plus it's impressive that she's had the opportunity to go out and train with Team Alpha Male. I'll keep an eye out for her next fight.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

I didn't, no. But your post has piqued my interest. From the little I've read, it sounds like she has been immersed in MMA from a young age and Jack Mason speaks really highly of her. Plus it's impressive that she's had the opportunity to go out and train with Team Alpha Male. I'll keep an eye out for her next fight.

Her mother was/is an MMA fighter too, although she doesn't have the best record.

If you've got Fight Pass then you can check it out on there, if not then I'm sure it'll be uploaded to Cage Warriors YouTube in a couple weeks time.

 

[BobsyaUncle]

Her mother was/is an MMA fighter too, although she doesn't have the best record.

If you've got Fight Pass then you can check it out on there, if not then I'm sure it'll be uploaded to Cage Warriors YouTube in a couple weeks time.

Just watched it on Fight Pass. Really impressed by her. Her opponent clearly wasn't the best but I'd bet we see her in the UFC in 3 or 4 years time.

 

[chubbman]

Kristina Williams should be touted as the next wmma star.

Instead we get that useless hype job hardy and Kayla “hardly fight” Harrison shoved down our throats.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

Just watched it on Fight Pass. Really impressed by her. Her opponent clearly wasn't the best but I'd bet we see her in the UFC in 3 or 4 years time.

Making a pro debut against someone who's 3-1 though and dominating them in such fashion is a big statement though in my opinion, especially as she's literally half her age.

Yeah, 3 years sounds about right if she continues looking like that in fights. First Cage Warriors gave UFC JJ and Calderwood , and next is probably Molly McCann. Cage Warriors doing well with their female talent.

 

[lukeuidswords]

opened the thread expecting Ariane Lipski

 

[GoldenAzazel]

Kristina Williams should be touted as the next wmma star.

Instead we get that useless hype job hardy and Kayla “hardly fight” Harrison shoved down our throats.

opened the thread expecting Ariane Lipski

All great choices to be fair, but I was trying to be the first on this hype train haha

In all seriousness Ariane Lipski's next fight should be for the UFC. She's definitely at that level now.

 

[MajorTB]

Agreed, but this is WMMA we're talking about. Fighters like Cynthia Calvillo, Rose Namajunas, and Paige Van Zant all got into the UFC with less than 5 fights on their record and already had losses. Never too early to keep an eye on these things.

All 3 of those women are exceptionally athletic though, but it is a good point. In WMMA there are women who are getting into big fights very early. Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas fought extremely early in their careers, in the men's divisions, elite prospects like that are often kept away from one another for at least the first 5 fights.

I do think McKenna has a shot at regional fame like McCann. Specifically because a wrestling heavy attack developed by Alpha Male is something many on her scene won't be able to deal with.

I would think both her and Molly will hit some speedbumps once they hit a big organization, however.

All great choices to be fair, but I was trying to be the first on this hype train haha

In all seriousness Ariane Lipski's next fight should be for the UFC. She's definitely at that level now.

Ariane would be suited well to debut against like De la Rosa, Ostovich, Fabian, Eye or Robertson. I think she needs 1 or 2 fights before taking on someone like Eubanks, Davis or Carmouche.

 

[GoldenAzazel]

All 3 of those women are exceptionally athletic though, but it is a good point. In WMMA there are women who are getting into big fights very early. Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas fought extremely early in their careers, in the men's divisions, elite prospects like that are often kept away from one another for at least the first 5 fights.

I do think McKenna has a shot at regional fame like McCann. Specifically because a wrestling heavy attack developed by Alpha Male is something many on her scene won't be able to deal with.

I would think both her and Molly will hit some speedbumps once they hit a big organization, however.


Ariane would be suited well to debut against like De la Rosa, Ostovich, Fabian, Eye or Robertson. I think she needs 1 or 2 fights before taking on someone like Eubanks, Davis or Carmouche.

Yeah, I'm not saying I think she'd be ready in under 5 fights, but it's just something to consider with WMMA. I'd rather see how she faces up against better opponents first and if she does to them what she did on Saturday night.

Although she did dominate on the ground on Saturday night, the most impressive thing was that her opponent's strength was supposed to be striking and she spent the first minute of that fight quite easily beating her on the feet.

It's obviously hard to tell with McKenna this early in her career, but I definitely see McCann having trouble in the UFC or against UFC level competition. The biggest thing about her is that she has heart though, so you'd never want to count her out.

I think you're right there about Lipski. The thing is the Flyweight division is wide open and if she has a really impressive debut against someone like Eye then she could only be one win away from a title shot.

 

[JohnMandick]

Her:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/ariane-lipski-beautiful-ksw-champion.3685025/

 

[EndlessCritic]

Kristina Williams should be touted as the next wmma star.

What? She barely beat Ducote. Seemed to have a huge size advantage. Ilima-Lei should destroy her.