Casey O’Neill, not so long ago, challenged an internet troll to a fight inside her Las Vegas gym.
And while recovering from a busted ACL, too.
Same as Australia’s No.1 female fighter, after workouts, is forever “butting heads” with UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland.
“Usually,” she says, “over the idea women shouldn’t fight”.
UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington | SUN 17th DEC 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Starting January 2024, Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events in Australia.
And now this Sunday at UFC 296 in the world’s fight capital, the popular Gold Coaster isn’t simply planning to “bash” rival Brazilian Ariane Lipski at UFC 296, but “elbow her head into the canvas”.
“Which is why this week,” O’Neill grins, “I’ve been too busy to catch up with the NRL guys”.
Still, she wants to.
Now living and training out of Las Vegas, 26-year-old O’Neill has this week offered up her gym, Xtreme Couture, to whichever NRL club wants to work with one of the sport’s hottest fight factories.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, O’Neill described rugby league’s impending 2024 Las Vegas launch as not only “super cool”, but the perfect opportunity for NRL stars like Latrell Mitchell, Reece Walsh and Tom Trbojevic to train with MMA’s elite.
That, and watch her argue the merits of female fighting with a UFC champ dubbed ‘Tarzan’.
Overseen by renowned fight coach Eric Nicksick, Xtreme Couture boasts an impressive crew of athletes including Strickland, Bellator champ Patchy Mix, and PFL star Sadibou Sy.
Importantly, the gym also plays host to O’Neill, the Scotland-born Queensland Origin fan who this Sunday is readying to bounce back from the first real bump in her upward trajectory – a shock decision loss to Jennifer Maia at UFC 286 in February, which followed two surgeries on a busted ACL.
Fox Sports Australia can also reveal some members of a travelling NRL contingent who are in Las Vegas to promote their March launch – among them players, officials and journalists – have accepted a UFC invitation to watch O’Neill fight on the hyped UFC 296 card.
Asked where she beats Lipski on Sunday, the fighter replied: “There’s no denying what I’m good at … I take them down and elbow their heads into the canvas.”
O’Neill added that she was also ready to punch her way back into title contention – she had won nine straight before the Maia loss – with a simple battle plan, saying: “I bash Lipski then bash somebody else early next year”.
Elsewhere, the fighter dubbed ‘King’ is also keen to give any one of the four NRL clubs competing in the season launch next March – Manly, South Sydney, Brisbane and the Roosters – access to a gym considered one of the best in the sport.
The UFC Performance Institute has also been offered up to the travelling teams, with both the Sea Eagles and Roosters having already booked time at the $14 million facility.
“What the NRL is doing, I think it’s super cool,” she said.
“I’m a huge Origin fan but unfortunately haven’t been able to catch up with any of the stuff they’re doing in Las Vegas this week because I’ve been too busy.
Ref SLAMMED for ‘disgraceful’ stoppage | 00:42
“But if the NRL wants to reach out and do something with us (at Xtreme Couture), I would love that.
“We can definitely put the players through some workouts.”
Back in October last year, O’Neill made headlines after taking to social media and challenging a troll named ‘Cal’, who Tweeted: “Casey is such a low level fighter … I have no fighting experience at all but could still fight better than she does. I’ll turn up, spar, and prove my point.”
Immediately, O’Neill replied – telling Cal to not only meet her at Xtreme Couture, but make it that afternoon at 3:30pm.
Yet not only did the big fella not show, he also deleted his Twitter account.
Elsewhere, the fighter gunning to become Australia’s first female UFC champ is also no stranger to jawing with Strickland, who is well known for his contentious statements about women – including that they shouldn’t fight.
Asked about Strickland, who took UFC gold from Israel Adeansya in Sydney three months ago, in a huge upset at UFC 293, O’Neill said: “We butt heads all the time.
“When it comes to the sport we’re in, we have opposing views on almost everything.
“Of course, I respect everything Sean has done.
“And we both get along in that sense.
“He respects me as a hard worker and I respect him for the same.
“And he’s had some amazing things come from that.
“But still sometimes I think he should … ahh … filter what he says.
“Obviously I’ve never been able to change him though, so we agree to disagree on most things.”
Biggest one?
“That women shouldn’t fight,” O’Neill continues.
“Obviously being a female fighter and somebody who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, I always have my say on that one.
“We’ve fought so hard to be in the UFC.
“For so long we were underground, even when MMA became mainstream for men.
“So when people disrespect us after we’ve not only worked so hard to get here, but I believe, proved ourselves, I don’t like it.
UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington | SUN 17th DEC 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Starting January 2024, Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events in Australia.
“I get that people are going to have their opinions.
“And I understand some people don’t like women’s MMA.
“But (to say we shouldn’t be here) … they’re wrong.”
O’Neill also revealed that she returned to quickly from the ACL injury that kept her out for a year, admitting it compromised her during the Maia loss.
“Coming back after the injury that first camp, it was a little bit strange,” she conceded. “And I wasn’t able to do everything at 100 per cent.
“In hindsight, I was rushing things.
“But I’m in a lot better headspace now.
“Lot better mentally, lot better physically.
“I’m back to the old me again.”
Pushed on the issues, she continued: “When you’re coming back from something traumatic like that, I think it is always going to be in the back of your head.
“That full camp I was ‘oh, be careful of the knee’.
“And while I trained as best as I could, here and there in camp, it didn’t feel great.
“But since coming into this fight camp, and for longer, I haven’t thought about any of that once.
“I’m good now.”
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