Cory McKenna Record: 8-4-0

Establishing herself in the UFC

The path was not linear. In March 2022, McKenna dropped a split decision to Elise Reed, a razor-thin loss that could easily have gone her way. She answered emphatically. In August 2022 she submitted Miranda Granger with a second-round Von Flue choke — a rare and opportunistic finish that showcased her grappling IQ — and then closed the year with a polished unanimous-decision win over Cheyanne Vlismas in December 2022, pushing her into the division's mix.

Recent challenges

The most recent stretch has tested her. In March 2024, McKenna was caught in a first-round armbar by jiu-jitsu specialist Jaqueline Amorim, the only submission loss of her career. She followed it in October 2024 with another close split-decision defeat, this time to Julia Polastri — her second loss decided by a single judge's card, underlining how many of her fights live in the margins. The skid leaves her looking to recapture the form that made her a sought-after prospect.

Fighting style

McKenna is a balanced, technically sound mixed martial artist whose record reflects versatility rather than a single dominant weapon. Her eight wins split evenly across methods — two by KO/TKO, two by submission, and four by decision, a 50% finish rate — and she is comfortable winning rounds with grappling, scrambling, and a steady pace. The Von Flue choke against Granger is a fitting signature: she finishes through awareness and position rather than overwhelming power. The honest weakness shows in the close losses; three of her four defeats came by decision, two of them splits, suggesting she has the tools to compete with anyone but needs to win the swing rounds more decisively to climb the rankings.

Career highlights

• Contender Series contract — beat Vanessa Demopoulos in 2020 to earn her UFC deal, reported as the first Welsh woman to sign with the promotion.
• Von Flue choke finish — submitted Miranda Granger with a rare second-round Von Flue choke in 2022, one of the more technically savvy finishes of her run.
• Team Alpha Male pedigree — a brown belt in jiu-jitsu training out of one of MMA's elite camps, with a versatile game that wins fights every way.