Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza Preview
Rhys McKee and Daniel Frunza clash in an exciting welterweight bout on April 6th at 12:20 am in Las Vegas. McKee is still hunting for his first win in the UFC and could be facing the axe for a second time should he lose at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy.
Frunza is making his UFC debut in this fight after earning a contract with a win on Dana White’s Contender Series last September. Can McKee buy himself some time in the biggest MMA promotion in the world, or will it be a winning start for Frunza?
Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza Predictions
Fight prediction: Daniel Frunza via KO/TKO
One of our best MMA predictions this week is for Daniel Frunza to defeat Rhys McKee. Frunza impressed Dana White in the Contender Series, earning himself a UFC contract. What has shone the most is his power, and the welterweight division is getting a dangerous addition. He gets his first fight in the promotion against McKee, who has lost all four of his bouts in the UFC. The Romanian will add to his misery on Saturday night.
Although primarily a striker, Frunza can win this fight with strong grappling. McKee’s takedown defence has been poor in both of his spells in the UFC. Ange Loose, not known for his grappling, took him down six times in three rounds. Frunza is adept at grappling and can take advantage of McKee’s poor defence. We saw the Romanian jump on a fatigued Vadym Kutsyi in his last fight, winning through ground and pound. He can do the same here.
McKee has been too hittable in his fights. He is absorbing an average of 7.85 strikes per minute. Skeletor has to be more elusive than that, especially against a fighter as powerful as Frunza. He has also not been active enough, shown by the striking differential in his four UFC fights. Khamzat Chimaev outstruck him 40-0, Alex Morono 176-124, Loosa 98-77, and Chidi Njokuani 64-30. His strong chin is fortunate, but a fighter can only absorb a limited number of strikes before it inevitably wears down. This spells disaster for his fight in Las Vegas against Frunza.
Frunza’s cardio and conditioning are a tremendous asset in this fight. We saw in his last fight that his gas tank can swing bouts in his favour. McKee has shown strong cardio in previous fights, but his tendency to go for finishes early could sometimes leave him vulnerable later in the fight. If Tigano can neutralise McKee’s striking and take the fight into deep waters, his cardio and ground control will allow him to wear McKee down. This will lead to a late finish or a decision victory.
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McKee has to make use of his size advantage in this fight. He has a five-inch reach over Frunza and has to control the pace and distance using that. Frunza will counter that with his speed, bouncing in and out of the pocket, snapping leg kicks and mixing in takedowns. However, if McKee can keep Tigano’s back against the cage with his size advantage, we could see him snatch a decision victory in this fight.
In the end, Frunza’s dynamism will prove too much for McKee. His ability to mix striking with grappling, especially against a fighter with a weak takedown defence, swings this fight in his favour. McKee’s best chance is by fighting at a distance, but we have not seen him do that enough to believe it will come in his fifth fight in the UFC.
Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza Fight Outcome
Frunza will neutralise McKee’s striking by floating in and out of the pocket and implementing his wrestling game. Frunza’s top control and grappling skills could wear McKee down. His ability to take him down and control him on the ground, combined with his cardio and heavy striking, should lead him to victory in Las Vegas.
However, do not underestimate McKee. He has had an unsuccessful time in the UFC, but his performances in Cage Warriors have shown us what he is capable of. There is no shame in some of his losses, with two coming at the hands of undefeated number-three-ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev and seasoned veteran Alex Morono. He has an experience advantage in this fight, and this is the toughest fight of Frunza’s career, regardless of his position as the favourite.
Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza Betting Tips
- Fight Result – Daniel Frunza to win: Daniel Frunza is the favourite in this fight. His performance in the Contender Series was a good introduction to what to expect from him. McKee is on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC, and this could be make or break for him. We have seen too many weaknesses in his defence, both striking and grappling.. We like a bet on Frunza to win, worth 3/5. However, there is no doubt that this will be the biggest test of the Romanian’s career so far. McKee has more experience against top-level fighters. A bet on McKee is worth 13/10 if you think he can cause an upset.
- Method of Victory – Frunza via KO/TKO: Frunza enters this fight on a streak of four straight knockout victories. His stand-up is dynamic, and he thrives when using ground and pound in top control. He can get the knockout victory through several methods and that is the most likely way Tigano wins here. A bet on Frunza to win via KO/TKO is worth 8/5 for anyone betting on the UFC.
- Total Rounds – Over 1.5 rounds: Over/under betting for this fight is 1.5. While we are expecting a knockout victory for Frunza, we think it will be a cagey opening round. This is his first fight in the UFC and against an experienced fighter in McKee. Both men will probably use the first round to feel each other out and determine the pace and distance. Any finish is more likely to come in the second or third round. Over 1.5 rounds in the fight is worth 8/15 with our online betting site.
Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza Head-To-Head and Key Stats
These fighters enter this fight on opposite ends of the spectrum. One has recently dazzled in the Contender Series and looks to build on that momentum. The other is fighting for survival in the UFC itself.
Fighter Form: Rhys McKee
Rhys McKee has had a strange few years in the fight game. The Ballymena man made a name for himself on the UK scene, becoming a two-time lightweight champion in the promotion within eight fights. That included a title-winning victory over current UFC lightweight Jai Herbert in 2016. He lost the belt to Tim Barnett in his first defence before winning it back from him nine months later, and again losing it in his first defence against Terry Brazier.
Skeletor signed with Cage Warriors in 2018 and won three fights in a row by stoppage, earning himself a UFC contract. McKee was quite literally thrown to the wolves in his debut, losing to Khamzat Chimaev in his first bout via first-round KO without landing a single strike. His second fight wasn’t much easier, and he lost a unanimous decision to Alex Morono before leaving and heading back to Cage Warriors. Another excellent run there saw him win the welterweight title, defending his belt once before earning another shot from Dana White.
McKee is still hunting for his first win in the promotion, having lost two decisions since his return. Rhys McKee is a skilled striker with power behind his punches. He enters this fight with a record of 13-6-1. Ten of those victories have come by KO/TKO and three by submission. Four of his losses have come via decision, and two by knockout.
McKee’s Previous Five Fights
- Lost. Chidi Njoukani via Split Decision.
- Lost. Ange Loosa via Unanimous Decision.
- Def. Jim Wallhead via Corner Stoppage (RD 4, Retained title).
- Def. Justin Burlinson via TKO (RD 2, won Cage Warriors Welterweight title).
- Def. Aleksi Mantykivi via TKO (RD 3).
Fighter Form: Daniel Frunza
Daniel Frunza began his career on the Italian regional scene in 2016. Despite losing his first fight, the Romanian earned a strong reputation with four straight victories. He lost his second fight in 2021 but bounced back to win via first and second-round knockouts in his next two. That earned him his first big opportunity in the American promotion LFA. Two more KO victories made it four on the bounce for Frunza.
That streak caught the eye of Dana White and earned him a spot in the contender series in 2024. Tigano made the most of that opportunity, putting on a show in Las Vegas right in front of the UFC president. He finished Vadym Kutsyi in round two with vicious ground and pound, showcasing his power and dynamism. That won him a contract in the biggest MMA promotion in the world.
Frunza is an excellent striker with a fearsome knockout record. He enters his UFC debut with a 9-2 record, with eight victories coming via KO/TKO and one via decision. Both of his losses have come via submission. Tigano is riding a five-fight winning streak with all of those victories coming via TKO.
Frunza’s Previous Five Fights
- Def. Vadym Kutsyi via TKO (RD 2).
- Def. Haris Talundzic via TKO (RD 3).
- Def. Jalin Fuller via TKO (RD 1).
- Def. Lindsey Jones via TKO (RD 2).
- Def. Pedro Henrique Dias via TKO (RD 1).
