Terrance McKinney Survived Death Twice Ahead of UFC Debut

Terrance McKinney is a born fighter and has a unique journey to the sport of MMA ahead of his UFC debut this Saturday against UFC 263 in Glendale, AZ.

The 26-year-old McKinney will fight on the sport’s biggest stage this weekend against lightweight Matt Frevola on the undercard of UFC 263, but it wasn’t always easy for the Spokane, WA native.

McKinney was extremely troubled during his late teens, which included a run-in with the law and most notably a Mushroom trip that went horribly wrong back in 2014. McKinney mixed alcohol with acid and ‘shrooms one evening and appeared completely incoherent when confronted by local police.

McKinney would then be tased by police officers who arrived at the scene after resisting their instructions to settle down and relax. He would then be rushed to the hospital where he was effectively brain-dead and revived twice before doctors could finally stabilize him.

McKinney recently spoke with LFA about his incredible story to the sport of MMA and hopes to inspire people all over the world who make poor decisions early on in life.

“I ended up seeing demons, I was very incoherent,” McKinney said regarding his past issue with drugs and alcohol. “I was pretty much out of my mind. When they tried to engage me I started going crazy so they had to tase me, like multiple tases, I ate it like it was nothing. They finally got me down and were able to restrain me and get me to the hospital and that’s where I ended up dying twice. I didn’t even know I died, that was the scariest part. It really just made me settle down and think, ‘Is this what I want, or do I want something better?’”

After facing the most challenging time of his life, McKinney made the most of himself when he was introduced to MMA. He made his professional debut as a member of CageSport back in 2017 before brief stints with Strike Hard Productions and LFA. Overall, McKinney has accumulated a record of 10-3 in the octagon and is set to make his UFC debut in a short-notice bout against Frevola.

UFC 263 is widely anticipated to be one of the best cards of the year to date, but fight fans shouldn’t overlook McKinney vs. Frevola on Saturday night. If they need an under-the-radar fighter to root for, McKinney is a great bet.

What are your thoughts on Terrance McKinney’s inspirational bounceback story?