“King Casey” had an incredible first year competing inside the Octagon in 2021, making three appearances and earning three finishes to catapult herself into the rankings in the flyweight division, saving her most impressive performance for last.
After pounding out Shana Dobson in her debut and putting Lara Procopio to sleep in her second appearance, the 24-year-old Scottish-Australian standout, who resides in Las Vegas and trains at Xtreme Couture, collected a Performance of the Night bonus for her second-round stoppage win over Antonina Shevchenko. While beating the older sister of the divisional champ doesn’t earn you a title opportunity, the effort surely put O’Neill on Valentina Shevchenko’s radar, and if last year’s breakout sensation can continue putting up dominant results, the two could certainly end up sharing the Octagon in the future.
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Casey makes the first start of her sophomore year this weekend by facing off with Roxanne Modafferi in what will be the final fight of the American veteran’s outstanding career.
A pro since 2003 and a women’s MMA pioneer, Modafferi has been a fixture in the 125-pound weight class since its inception, serving as a perpetual tough out for fellow veterans and up-and-coming hopefuls alike. Although she’s struggled to earn consistent results, Modafferi has delayed the rise of new names in the division several times over, most notably at the start of 2020 when she handed Maycee Barber the first loss of her career.
Casey doesn’t operate like a 24-year-old with just eight professional appearances when she’s inside the Octagon, showing impressive patience and discipline while also knowing how and when to crank things up to 11 and chase down a finish. If she can keep her winning streak rolling through this weekend, another step up in competition and a move further up the rankings will be in her future.
