How Alysa Liu’s Joy-First Philosophy Transformed a UFC Fighter’s Career

Casey O’Neill attributes her renewed mindset, which propelled her back into the UFC after an eighteen-month hiatus, to a late-night exploration of figure skating videos and, specifically, a routine by Olympic champion Alysa Liu. In the backstage corridor before her comeback fight, she repeatedly whispered a mantra to herself: “fun-maxxing.”

Casey O’Neill’s UFC Comeback

In early 2022, Casey O’Neill suffered an ACL tear, forcing her withdrawal from a scheduled bout against Jessica Eye at UFC 276 and leading to an extended period of inactivity. The Scottish-born flyweight, based in Las Vegas, had an impressive start to her UFC career with a 4-0 record, including a split-decision victory over Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 271, before injuries halted her ascent. Following further setbacks and knee surgery, she underwent a full year of rehabilitation and remained sidelined throughout the entire 2025 calendar year, only scheduling her return fight against Gabriella Fernandes for early 2026.

O’Neill made her highly anticipated return on March 28, 2026, facing Gabriella Fernandes at a UFC event in Seattle. This marked her first appearance since August 2024. She fought with remarkable intensity, securing a first-round knockout that immediately re-established her presence in the flyweight division and served as a significant emotional milestone after her persistent injury struggles. In her post-fight remarks, she revealed that her focus during her walk to the octagon was not on apprehension or rankings, but on a singular internal directive: to enjoy herself and “fun-maxx” the moment.

Alysa Liu and the "Fun-Maxxing" Concept

Alysa Liu, an American figure skater, had already experienced a full competitive journey: an early retirement at 16 after the 2022 Winter Games, followed by a triumphant return to clinch gold in both the women’s singles and team events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Her comeback and notably relaxed public demeanor ignited fresh discussions about competing for personal enjoyment rather than succumbing to pressure. Creators and analysts widely cited her as a prime example of “fun-maxxing,” emphasizing the pursuit of peak performance through playful engagement rather than relentless grinding.

Liu’s Olympic triumph and the interpretation of her skating as a performance driven by pure enjoyment resonated deeply with athletes across various sports, including O’Neill, who adopted this philosophy during her own recovery process. Alysa Liu has consistently articulated that her gold medal in Milan-Cortina stemmed from skating with joy, not from a singular focus on the outcome. She also stated that she would have found peace even without the medal, given the profound significance of her comeback.

In an explanation of her mindset, she was quoted saying: “Winning and losing [don’t] affect me anymore… medals don’t fulfill me. I skate because I like to skate.” She further added, “I’m happy with any outcome, as long as I’m there. I am present. There’s nothing to lose.”

Leading up to her fight in Seattle, O’Neill closely followed Liu’s narrative and began to reframe her own comeback. After months of rigorous rehabilitation and moments of doubt, her new priority shifted to fully experiencing the walk, the roar of the crowd, and the exchanges within the cage, rather than fixating on the results. She described repeating “fun-maxxing” to herself in the tunnel as a method to shed fear and expectations, attributing this Liu-inspired mantra to helping her fight with newfound freedom on her return night.

For O’Neill, the connection is straightforward: a figure skater who returned to her sport out of sheer love for competition empowered a UFC flyweight to do the same, transforming a lengthy injury layoff into a powerful story about reclaiming her sport on her own terms.