Terence McKinney suffered another first-round finish at UFC 329, but this time, he believes the referee should have given him a chance to see the second round.
McKinney looked to be cruising toward victory against veteran lightweight King Green after dominating much of the opening round. The hard-hitting lightweight hurt Green early and appeared close to securing another quick finish.
However, the fight took a dramatic turn in the final moments of Round 1.After surviving McKinney’s early onslaught, Green capitalized on his opponent’s fading energy and landed a crushing body shot that sent McKinney into survival mode. Green followed up with punches as McKinney covered up against the fence, prompting referee Kerry Hatley to stop the contest with just seconds remaining in the round.
Following the loss, Terence McKinney took to social media to share his thoughts on the stoppage while giving credit to Green for the comeback victory.
“Got me in liver, but the ref should have let it go to next round, only two second left,” McKinney wrote on X. “I’m proud of the growth I had, wasn’t just tweaking, picked my shots. We’ll be back. Congrats to @BobbyKGreen.”
Despite his frustration with the stoppage, McKinney focused on the positives from his performance and praised Green for capitalizing on the opportunity when it mattered most.
The loss was particularly painful because Terence McKinney controlled much of the fight before momentum shifted in the closing seconds. The lightweight appeared on track for a statement victory before exhaustion and a perfectly timed body shot changed everything.
McKinney also accepted responsibility for some of the decisions he made during the fight.Responding to a fan on social media who questioned why he attempted a rear-naked choke instead of maintaining a dominant position, McKinney admitted he would approach the situation differently if given another opportunity.
“I would def stayed on top,” McKinney replied.
Many observers felt McKinney expended too much energy searching for an early finish, which ultimately allowed Green to weather the storm and mount his late comeback.
While Terence McKinney disagreed with the stoppage, referee Hatley acted after seeing a visibly hurt fighter absorbing unanswered strikes. With fighter safety remaining the top priority, the official stepped in before further damage could occur.
The defeat drops Terence McKinney to 8-6 inside the UFC. Remarkably, his reputation as one of the sport’s most explosive action fighters remains intact. None of his 27 professional bouts have gone the distance, and only four have lasted beyond the opening round.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, there appears to be no bad blood between the two fighters. After the event, McKinney and Green were seen spending time together and enjoying a night out, showing mutual respect after their thrilling battle inside the Octagon.
