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Lightweight finishing machine scores quick TKO at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia

Terrance McKinney made it look easy against Damir Hadzovic at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Zain Bando|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lightweight Terrance McKinney made it three wins in his last five fights Saturday morning during the UFC Saudi Arabia prelims against Damir Hadzovic.

McKinney Makes Short Work Of Hadzovic

The fight, a rather one-sided affair, saw McKinney (16-7, 6-4 UFC) push the pace against Hadzovic (14-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC), finding the Bosnian's back to secure a TKO stoppage at 2:01 of the opening round.

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McKinney, who has been in the UFC since June 2021 and needed only seven seconds to dispatch Matt Frevola in his Octagon debut, is already targeting his next opponent and wants to stay active this year.

"Chris Duncan, baby," McKinney said. "Let's go."

Meanwhile, Hadzovic is still searching for his first win in four years amidst a severe layoff that saw two canceled fights in that timeframe: Nikolas Motta and Steve Garcia. His fight with Yancy Medeiros was eventually rescheduled, earning a unanimous decision in June 2021.

McKinney now has a chance to win back-to-back fights for the first time since entering the promotion, having either split wins and losses or lost consecutive fights in a row.

Terrance McKinney fights Esteban Ribovics during a UFC Fight Night at Enterprise Center.
Terrance McKinney fights Esteban Ribovics during a UFC Fight Night at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

UFC Saudi Arabia is the beginning of 10 weeks of events for the promotion as the preliminary portion rolls on. The main card begins at noon ET/9. a.m. PT and features a critical Top 5 middleweight headliner between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov, as both attempt to stay in the mix for a middleweight title shot with UFC 312's main event to follow a week from tonight.

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McKinney-Hadzovic was the second finish of the night, mixed in between decisions in the event's opener and a one-sided win for Jasmine Jasudavicius against Mayra Bueno Silva in the UFC's first female fight to take place in the region.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer & columnist for Gameday Media's MMA Knockout, expanding his portfolio as a Staff Writer for Dallas Wings On SI with previous in-network contributions around the echosystem. Outside of covering fights, Bando's background includes Big Ten football and men's basketball with leans toward Illinois and Northwestern with a broader league view for bylines including The Sporting News, FanSided, Men's Journal and others since 2019. Bando can be reached at zainbando99@gmail.com or via his social media accounts @zainbando99.

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