Welsh strawweight Cory McKenna makes her return to the Octagon on March 16th after over 12 months out of action. The 24-year-old sat out 2023, making it the first calendar year she’s missed since making her amateur debut in 2014.
Time off certainly wasn’t the plan, but a combination of injuries and personal commitments meant that McKenna was forced to wait. With her return officially confirmed, 2024 could be set to be the biggest year of her fight career to date.
Cory McKenna Returns March 16th
March 16th at UFC Vegas 88 will see “Poppins” return against Brazilian Jaqueline Amorim. The strawweights will go toe-to-toe in McKenna’s fourth appearance in the UFC Apex. The event is set to be headlined by heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura.
American Top Team’s Amorim will put her 7-1 record on the line for the first time since August of last year. An impressive TKO win in her second appearance with the promotion against Mexico’s Montserrat Conejo Ruiz. The former LFA and jiu-jitsu champion will be hoping to add to that with a win over McKenna.
That’ll be no easy task. After becoming the first Welsh woman to make her way to the UFC, she’s gone 3-1, which also includes an incredible Von Flue Choke submission win back in August 2022.
Training With Team Alpha Male
Since signing with the promotion in 2020, McKenna has been training with some of the world’s very best at Team Alpha Male. The California gym is owned and run by former bantamweight title challenger, Urijah Faber.
It’s been no secret that over the past few years, Faber and McKenna have formed a strong bond. The improvements that she’s made have been highlighted regularly by her head coach and friend.
After announcing her return, “Poppins” has been very open about her “tricky” year out. She’s stated that this year, we’re going to see the very best version of her. McKenna also insisted that she is going to be putting more emphasis on recovering in and out of the gym.
Cory McKenna’s 2024
A win over Amorim in March would elevate McKenna into a really strong position. Three wins on the bounce and a drive to make this year, her year. With strong rumors that we could be getting a Manchester card this summer, there’s a good chance she could turn around and make her second UFC appearance in the UK since losing in London in March 2022.
Should everything go to plan, we could see her enter the Octagon three times this year. Three wins in 2024 and Wales could have a real contender on their hands.
How do you see Cory McKenna’s year panning out? She’s back in action on March 16th at UFC Vegas. For all the news and build-up, stay tuned.
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
