Early in his career, McKenzie made his name known on the regional circuit (mostly British Colombia and Washington State) before being thrust into the limelight on TUF 12. Known for his confident and brash personality, McKenzie is a finisher armed with a nasty guillotine choke who has enjoyed tremendous success early on.

While McKenzie isn’t known as a standout athlete, he’s established himself as a crafty, creative submission machine. He possesses a lethal guillotine choke which has served as his primary offensive weapon early in his fighting career (he calls it the “McKenzietine”). Utilizing a modified grip and a variation in shoulder positioning, McKenzie’s guillotine is a tight blood choke which has yielded terrific results for Cody. He’s perfected it to the point that he can lock it in instantaneously, and despite its obvious predictability he’s finished ten of his first twelve opponents (plus both wins during his TUF stint) with the aforementioned choke. McKenzie will however need to work on expanding his arsenal, as he relies almost entirely on his guillotine and unusual style. He’s shown he’ll work hard at trying to secure the takedown by pressing his opponent into the cage and working a single, but McKenzie wrestling abilities remain a work in progress. From top position he is capable of utilizing his ground and pound well, and given his dangerous submission game from the bottom McKenzie has shown himself to be a formidable opponent once the fight hits the mat.

Although he’s a confident forward moving fighter, McKenzie remains very raw on his feet. Equipped with good reach, McKenzie’s shown he’ll press the action and pull the trigger on his striking. He looks to utilize his kicks from the outside, and possesses a sturdy chin and the ability to take a punch. Technically, McKenzie has quite a bit of developing left to do. He isn’t known for the speed or power in his standup game, and tends to slow down significantly as the bout wears on. Defensively McKenzie also leaves himself quite open at times, and his footwork, head movement and overall technique will require work.