Rhys McKee Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Rhys McKee is a Northern Irish mixed martial artist currently competing in the PFL welterweight division. He fought in the UFC across two separate stints between 2020 and 2025, and holds a professional record of 15 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw as of October 31, 2026.

Career

Originally from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, McKee competed as an amateur before turning professional in September 2015. He built the bulk of his early career at BAMMA, fighting eight times there between 2015 and 2018, including a KO win over Jai Herbert at BAMMA 27 in December 2016, a draw against Richie Smullen at BAMMA 30 and a decision loss to Terry Brazier at BAMMA 36. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt, he established himself early through striking, with eight first-round finishes across his first nine professional wins.

Career at Cage Warriors

McKee joined Cage Warriors in late 2018 and put together three straight wins, including a guillotine submission over Perry Goodwin at Cage Warriors 102 and a first-round stoppage of Hakon Foss at Cage Warriors 110. After his first UFC run, he returned to the British promotion and won the welterweight title by beating Justin Burlinson by TKO in the third round at Cage Warriors 140 on June 25, 2022. He then defended the belt with a corner stoppage win over Jim Wallhead at Cage Warriors 153, before heading back to the UFC.

Career in the UFC

McKee made his octagon debut on July 25, 2020, against Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi at UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs Till, and was stopped by TKO in the first round. He then dropped a decision to Alex Morono in November 2020 before leaving the organization. Re-signed after his Cage Warriors title run, he returned to the UFC in September 2023 and lost a unanimous decision to Ange Loosa in Paris, then a split decision to Chidi Njokuani in March 2024. On April 5, 2025, he earned a Performance of the Night bonus for a first-round medical stoppage win over Daniel Frunza in Las Vegas. His UFC run ended on September 6, 2025, in Paris, where he was stopped by Axel Sola in the third round, leading to his second release from the organization.

Career at the PFL

McKee signed with the PFL after leaving the UFC and fought his first bout for the promotion on April 16, 2026, in Belfast, at PFL Belfast: Kelly vs Wilson. He beat Alex Lohore by unanimous decision over three rounds, dropping his opponent with a right hand in the third round before controlling the rest of the frame. It is his most recent fight to date.

Fighting style

McKee is an orthodox striker who favors standup exchanges, with eleven of his fifteen wins coming by KO or TKO. He rounds out that arsenal with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt base, which has produced three submissions, including a triangle choke and a rear-naked choke. His distance management and punching power define his fastest wins, most of which came in the first round, though several of his losses went the distance against more experienced opponents.

Record

• Professional record: 15 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw
• Wins by KO/TKO: 11
• Wins by submission: 3
• Wins by decision: 1
• Title: Cage Warriors welterweight champion (2022-2023)
• Award: Performance of the Night, UFC, April 5, 2025

Fighter profile

• Full name: Rhys McKee
• Nickname: Skeletor
• Born: September 10, 1995, Ballymena (Northern Ireland)
• Nationality: Northern Irish
• Height: 6’2″ (188 cm)
• Reach: 6’6″ (198 cm)
• Division: welterweight
• Team: Next Generation (Northern Ireland)
• Coach: not disclosed
• Technical base: Brazilian jiu-jitsu (purple belt), boxing

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.sherdog.com
• www.ufc.com
• www.tapology.com
• pflmma.com