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Terrance McKinney scores 7-second KO in UFC debut, injures knee during celebration

Terrance McKinney celebrates after knocking out Matt Frevola in their lightweight fight during the UFC 263 event at Gila River Arena on June 12, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Terrance McKinney followed through on his vow to "knock people out" in his UFC debut. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Terrance McKinney had a blockbuster debut at UFC 263 on Saturday.

The he appeared to injure himself.

The 26-year-old lightweight took on Matt Frevola for his first appearance in the Octagon during the UFC 263 prelims. The fight was over almost as soon as it started.

Immediately after the pair met in the middle to touch gloves, McKinney floored Frevola with a vicious right-left combo. He then jumped on Frevola to ensure that the job was done, but it didn't take the referee long to call the fight. The wrestling specialist who previously said he was joining UFC "to knock people out" had followed through on his vow in dramatic fashion. The fight was ruled a KO in seven seconds.

Celebration proves costly for McKinney

But it wasn't all good news for McKinney, who entered Saturday's competition with an 11-3 professional record. He jumped on the cage to celebrate his win. When he landed back on the mat, he immediately clutched his right knee and rolled on the mat in pain.

When he got up, he hopped around the Octagon on his left leg and was in tears as he leaned against the cage. He then hopped to the middle of the Octagon, where he was officially declared the winner. By the time he spoke with announcer Joe Rogan, he didn't sound too worried about his knee.

"I think I'll be OK, I've just got to stretch it," McKinney said.

While he may need more than a stretch, he didn't let the injury overwhelm the gravity of his dramatic UFC debut, a fight that he took on short notice eight days after a bout in the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

"It feels so amazing," McKinney continued. "You guys see the tears in my eyes. I just want everyone that's going through struggles to never give up and trust in God."

Lightning KO catches Jorge Masvidal's attention

McKinney's win was the fastest UFC finish ever in the lightweight division and tied for third fastest in UFC history. The fastest belongs to Jorge Masvidal for his five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239 in 2019.

Masvidal was watching on Saturday.

McKinney's quick KO of Frevola could be a sign of things to come. According to Covers, McKinney's previous three fights ended in knockout victories that took 16 seconds, 17 seconds and 71 seconds to complete. Let's hope his knee doesn't keep him sidelined for long.

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