Casey O’Neill hasn’t been on the UFC roster an entire year yet, but she is already seeking contender status.
O’Neill (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) made her promotional debut in February, the undefeated 23-year-old flyweight has now made it three wins during the calendar year with her second-round ground-and-pound stoppage victory over Antonina Shevchenko (9-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) on Saturday.
The fight took place on the prelims of UFC Fight Night 193 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire event aired on ESPN+.
“I think there was still a lot of questions about me coming in, only two fights in,” O’Neill told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the post-fight news conference. “Everybody still looks at you like a rookie in your rookie year, so I hope that now after finishing my first year with the UFC, most likely that people look at me as a contender.”
In under 12 months with the UFC, O’Neill has stopped Shana Dobson and Lara Procopio in addition to Shevchenko. Although she didn’t know it at the time of her interview, she also earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for her victory.
As for what’s next, O’Neill would like to take a little time off before returning to action in March of 2022 to give her coaches a break while also improving behind the scenes.
Check out the full post-fight interview with O’Neill in the video above.
