Cory McKenna: Meet the UFC’s youngest female fighter ahead of her UK homecoming

As far as 22-year-olds go, there are surely few as impressive as Cory McKenna.

The youngest female fighter to be signed to the biggest promotion in mixed martial arts, McKenna is as articulate and composed as they come – both in and out of the ring.

The first Welshwoman to compete in the UFC, McKenna made a successful debut in the company in November 2020, outpointing Kay Hansen after first introducing herself to UFC fans three months earlier on the Dana White’s Contender Series TV show.

McKenna was 20 at the time of her Contender Series appearance, another victorious showing where she beat Vanessa Demopoulos via decision. The wins over Demopoulos and Hansen took McKenna’s professional record to 6-1 following her flawless amateur career, and – after a 16-month wait – she will finally return to the Octagon on 19 March.

The O2 Arena will be the setting as McKenna fights in front of UFC fans for the first time, competing at the first edition of UFC London in three years.

“It’s already very rare that we get a card back home, usually once a year,” McKenna tells The Independent. “So, I feel like for the people back home it’s a bigger event where they show out and support the fighters. I know it’s going to be exciting, regardless of where I am on the card.

“It’s my first UFC event with the crowd, so I feel like it’s going to feel like my first actual UFC fight.”

McKenna will be one of numerous British fighters competing at UFC London, where the atmosphere is expected to be among the most electric this year due to the long wait for the promotion to return to the English capital.

“Until I got into the UFC, I’d only ever been to two of their events – the Manchester card in 2014 and a Sacramento card,” the strawweight says.

“I