Terrance McKinney knows who he wants to fight next, even if he doubts that the matchup will happen.
Following a first-round submission of Erick Gonzalez this past Saturday at UFC Vegas 59, McKinney called for a bout with popular lightweight Paddy Pimblett. McKinney spoke on and said he didn’t think he would fight Pimblett soon – although the UFC might want to watch how they book the rising English fighter.
” Not very likely,” McKinney stated about the possibility that McKinney will fight Pimblett next. McKinney said that he would fight Pimblett once they are both ranked. He has to take the baby steps, you know? After seeing what I did with Drew [Dober]., they’re now ready to take the baby steps. Paddy, it would all be gone, they are losing money. Then they have to give me money which is better. But they’re going to take their time on that.”
McKinney improved to 3-1 in the UFC with all of his fights ending in the first round, including a loss to Drew Dober this past March that McKinney said made him learn to control his aggressiveness ahead of the Gonzalez fight. He still secured quick finish and none of his UFC wins have taken longer than half a round.
Should he step into the cage with Pimblett, he doesn’t expect that fight to go the distance either.
“Me putting him to sleep and showing people that Scousers can get knocked out,” McKinney said of the expected outcome. The fans will go wild .”
This past Saturday’s fight took place in Las Vegas at UFC APEX. McKinney has no plans to return there anytime soon. He wants big crowds for all of his fights, specifically a Madison Square Garden meeting with “The Baddy.” Pimblett has previously said that he won’t fight in New York due to the high state income tax.
The Liverpool native has shined in a pair of UFC London fight cards this year and McKinney was impressed by his recent submission win over Jordan Leavitt.
” I think he did a decent job, but the child knows how to win a fight,” McKinney stated. He is creative. Even when he was down, he still came out crazy and he got it done. He knows how to get it done and as we know, I know how to get it done, so I know that’s going to be a fight that fans would never forget.”
If McKinney is correct in that the UFC won’t pair him up with Pimblett next, he has a couple of more veteran names in mind.
“I would love to fight Jim Miller or Bobby Green,” McKinney said. “It would just be an honor. These guys are legends, and that would make for an interesting fight .”
