You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Three rookies made their first walks to the Octagon this past weekend (Sat., April 4, 2026) at UFC Vegas 115 inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newcomers went 2-1 overall, delivering a couple of strong showings — and one very sloppy (but lucrative) performance.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances.
Tommy McMillen
There were big expectations for Tommy McMillen, the Sean O’Malley protege, after his all-action Contender
Series win — and in terms of chaos, he absolutely delivered.
From the opening bell, McMillen and Manolo Zecchini threw caution to the wind. For nearly four minutes, it was a full-on brawl — wild exchanges, zero defense, and nonstop forward pressure.
Entertaining? Absolutely.
Technical? Not even close.
McMillen ultimately got the finish with knees and punches (watch highlights), but the performance raised some concerns. While “Tommy Gunz” clearly has toughness and fan-friendly aggression, his lack of defensive awareness and structure is going to be a problem against more polished strikers.
Right now, he’s the kind of fighter who thrives in chaos — but that chaos can backfire quickly at this level.
The UFC will likely build him carefully with favorable matchups, but once he runs into a clean, technical striker, things will get dicey.
A matchup with someone like Ramon Taveras makes sense next.
Final grade: C
Jose Delano
Jose Delano had the most complete performance of the bunch.
The longtime LFA standout and former champion carried his momentum from Contender Series straight into his UFC debut — and arguably looked even better. Against a tough and underrated Robert Ruchala, Delano showcased a well-rounded, composed game.
He controlled the fight everywhere.
On the feet, Delano was sharp and measured, mixing feints with clean combinations. In the clinch, he held his own and dictated positioning. At range, he picked Ruchala apart — including a nasty body kick that left a visible welt.
He even had moments where a finish looked imminent, hurting Ruchala multiple times, but showed patience instead of recklessness.
That’s a great sign.
Even if Ruchala is now 0-2 in the UFC, he’s a legitimate talent — and Delano made him look a step behind for most of the fight.
Delano looks like a fighter who already belongs — and more importantly, one who could make real noise at Featherweight.
A fight with Yadier del Valle would be a fun next step.
Final grade: A
Dakota Hope
Short notice? Didn’t matter.
Dakota Hope stepped in on just four days’ notice against returning veteran Kai Kamaka — and looked like he’d been preparing for this moment his entire life.
Hope came out guns blazing.
From the start, he pushed forward with heavy hands, throwing everything with bad intentions. He mixed in clinch work with punishing knees, dropped Kamaka early, and nearly finished the fight with relentless ground-and-pound.
But Kamaka is notoriously durable — and that proved to be the difference.
Hope kept the pressure on for all three rounds, mixing in elbows and combinations while eating calf kicks and starting to slow just slightly down the stretch. Still, he never stopped coming forward.
In the end, Kamaka took a split decision — and while it wasn’t a robbery, there’s a strong argument that Hope did enough to win.
More importantly, he passed the eye test in a big way.
Against most opponents, that performance probably ends in a knockout. Instead, he ran into one of the a ultra tough Kai Kamaka that has never been slept.
Hope is an excellent addition to Lightweight — ultra aggressive, dangerous, and already showing signs of rapid improvement. There’s a lot to like here.
A fight with Bolaji Oki would be fireworks.
Final grade: B+
Nevertheless, Hope is a great addition to the Lightweight or Featherweight division (which ever he chooses) and is going to be a joy to watch because he is ultra aggressive and only getting better. Literally reminds me of a 155 lb Joaquin Buckley.
I would like to see him fight Bolaji Oki for his sophmore outing if he sticks at Lightweight or Jeong Yeong Lee at 145 lbs.
Final grade: B+
For complete UFC Vegas 115 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
