MMA fighter Terrance McKinney reveals he suffered an unexpected eye injury during his weight cut ahead of his match at UFC 283, causing double vision and subsequent loss to Ismael Bonfim, but has since decided to make substantial changes moving to Texas and working with UFC welterweight Kevin Holland.
Terrance McKinney, with 18 professional fights under his belt, continues to procure lessons from his experiences in the ring. His most recent fight was at UFC 283 in Brazil. However, a heartrending realization came to McKinney regarding this second-round knockout loss duel with Ismael Bonfim; he had to fight significantly harder due to a severe pre-fight injury which was highly unpredictable and out of his control. Despite having dealt with this freak injury, McKinney still acknowledges, without any excuses, Bonfim’s skills and gives full credit to The Contender Series veteran.
Ironically, the cause of the injury was an eye poke during his weight cut. This incident led to McKinney having double vision throughout his fight with Bonfim. He chose to risk it since withdrawing would mean losing half his contract money. The aftereffect of the eye poke seemed fatal initially but appeared to have diminished by the time the fight started. Hence, he went ahead with the fight, confident that he could manage with his partially restored vision. McKinney, however, underestimated the impact of the injury, which got increasingly worse under the scorching ring lights.
Upon watching the replay of the fight, he noticed that he missed knocking out Bonfim by a narrow margin due to the stark disconnect in vision. McKinney feels that had his eyes been in good condition, he would have easily overpowered Bonfim with his precise knee attacks. Despite facing a series of issues like inadequate vision and circulatory problems, he does not hold any regret for his actions; instead, he believes it was a necessary wake-up call to listen to his body’s needs. McKinney believes his adverse experiences will enforce better strategies in such contingencies in the future.
As a positive comeback following his loss at UFC 283, McKinney moved to Texas to train under UFC welterweight Kevin Holland. Connecting instantly with the veteran, he recognized the need to surround himself with experienced figures like Holland for his future prospect. On Saturday, McKinney is getting ready for his upcoming face-off with Nazim Sadykhov at UFC Vegas 77. Mockingly, Sadykhov is a training partner of Matt Frevola, whom McKinney defeated in his octagon debut in just seven seconds. Meanwhile, McKinney eagerly awaits a prospective rematch with Frevola, considering it as a stepping stone closer to obtaining the coveted belt. Despite his past defeat, McKinney holds onto his ambitions and aims for the title, considering every setback as a learning experience.