It’s been 19 months since we last saw UFC Seattle’s Casey O’Neill … so where did ‘King’ go?
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Casey O'Neill of Scotland prepares to face Luana Santos of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) No. 12-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight Casey O’Neill returns to action this weekend (Sat.
, March 28, 2026) against Brazil’s Gabriella Fernandes at UFC Seattle inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. It’s been a long time coming. O’Neill hasn’t competed since UFC 305 in Australia, where she handed surging prospect Luana Santos her first UFC loss via unanimous decision.
And then, poof! “King” Casey vanished. So, what happened?
The answer is simple — injuries. O’Neill has been dealing with injuries for the past few years, and another knee injury forced her to sit out all of 2025. It’s been a frustrating stretch for a fighter who once looked like one of the brightest rising prospects in the division.
But the time away wasn’t wasted. The 28-year-old returned to Thailand — where she began her UFC journey — to reconnect with her roots and rebuild her game with her original team. “I’ve always had a great time in Thailand, and that’s where I started my UFC journey,” O’Neill told UFC.