Terrance McKinney stepped into the UFC cage for the first time Saturday and made a statement in seven seconds’ time.
Having fought just eight days ago, McKinney (11-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) debuted in style when he blasted Matt Frevola with a series of punches in the opening seconds of their UFC 263 preliminary card bout.
After the win, McKinney injured his leg during the celebration. Although he was hobbled, he told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the cage he thought he’d be fine and just needed to stretch it out.
The stoppage, which came seven seconds into Round 1, tied for the second quickest stoppage due to strikes in promotion history. It’s tied with Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague, Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh, and Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung. The only finish quicker was Jorge Masvidal’s five-second flying knee TKO against Ben Askren.
McKinney, 26, took the fight against Frevola (8-3-1 MMA, 2-3-1) on short notice. The victory extended his winning and finishing streaks to four-in-a-row.
Meanwhile, Frevola, who has struggled to make it to the cage for scheduled bouts (due to injuries, opponent pull-outs, COVID-19, and more), has now dropped back-to-back fights.
McKinney’s backstory is unusual. In a 2019 interview with MMA Junkie, he attributed his success in the cage to a rock-bottom experience from college when he drank alcohol while on LSD and mushrooms. In the back of an ambulance, McKinney died twice – but upon his recovery vowed to turn his life around to serve as an example for others.
UFC 263 took place Saturday at Gila River Arena. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 263 results include:
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Terrance McKinney def. Matt Frevola via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:07
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Steven Peterson def. Chase Hooper via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Fares Ziam def. Luigi Vendramini via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
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Carlos Felipe def. Jake Collier via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)