Chris Weidman wants Tommy McMillen to make a big leap in competition after UFC Fight Night 281, and he has a specific name in mind.
McMillen improved to 11-0 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC with a third-round TKO win over Alberto Montes at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The victory also earned McMillen a $100,000 bonus and saw him break Nate Diaz's record for most significant strikes landed in a three-round fight.
Weidman believes that performance should fast-track McMillen into a serious test. "I would like to see him fight Aaron Pico," Weidman said, later adding, "Deep Waters."
"I think you throw a guy like this into the fire because Aaron Pico is not the best at controlling with takedowns. He's got nasty standup, but his chin is a little suspect. This guy is going to walk down Aaron Pico, who usually walks other people down, and if he does get taken down, he's right back to his feet in his face again."
Weidman doubled down on his call for a step up. "I could see it being potentially a really good fight, and I think with this guy because he's already got the stardom, he's going to put himself in the fight every single time. Why not put him against big names? Because he's going to have a chance to lose on the prelims against these up-and-comers anyway. Put him against big-name guys and throw him into the fire right away because he's not afraid to get punched. He's going to fight his fight regardless of who he's in there with. If he's going to lose, let it be against a good guy."
