UFC fan favorite Terrance McKinney changed his life forever with a seven-second finish.
UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney overcame substance abuse and a rough upbringing to find his way in Mixed Martial Arts. Once McKinney found his niche in the cage, the talented fighter never looked back, beginning with a stunning performance in his UFC debut.
McKinney filled in for the then-injured Frank Camacho against Matt Frevola on the UFC 263 prelims. His promotional debut came after his Dana White’s Contender Series showcase fell short, in a brutal flying knee knockout to Sean Woodson.
The UFC matchmakers are notorious for awarding short-notice opportunities to fighters who lose in their DWCS opportunities. Once McKinney got his chance to shine, he never looked back.
Terrance McKinney’s UFC debut set the record for fastest lightweight finish
Despite taking the Frevola fight on days’ notice at UFC 263, McKinney didn’t appear nervous or hesitant in facing the dangerous lightweight inside the Octagon. McKinney quickly marched forward and caught Frevola with a 1-2 combination that quickly dropped his opponent.
After Frevola dropped to the canvas, McKinney knocked him out cold with several devastating ground strikes before referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave off the fight. Officially tallied as a seven-second knockout win for McKinney, the finish remains the fastest in UFC lightweight history.
Almost as fast as he knocked out Frevola, McKinney quickly burst into a post-fight celebration, attempting to jump over the cage before landing awkwardly on his right leg. McKinney’s celebration was cut short as he grabbed his leg in agony to cap off a wild 15 seconds inside the Octagon.
McKinney suffered a hyper-extended right leg due to the celebration, and later poked fun at himself after the post-fight theatrics went horribly wrong. Luckily, McKinney didn’t suffer a more severe injury that would’ve indefinitely postponed his career after earning the record-setting knockout win.
Terrance McKinney gives UFC 317 a big boost against fellow fan favorite
After the Frevola fight, McKinney has traded wins and losses in his career, but is fresh off an impressive TKO win over Damir Hadzovic at UFC Saudi Arabia. McKinney will face Viacheslav Borshchev next month at UFC 317, in a massive undercard bout that will give way to the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira main event.
McKinney is back on the winning track after wins in three of his last four fights, including knockouts over Mike Breeden and Brendan Marotte. McKinney’s current run is in stark contrast to several brutal knockout losses he suffered earlier in his UFC tenure, including a horrific flying knee loss to Ismael Bonfim at UFC 283.
McKinney remains one of the most dangerous UFC lightweights on the roster, and will look to make another statement in his return on one of the biggest cards of the year.