Terrance McKinney to fight Drew Dober on UFC Vegas 50 main card

Thu., March 10, 2022

Spokane native Terrance McKinney will carry a 12-3 record into Saturday’s fight. (Courtesy of UFC)

By Charlotte McKinley For The Spokesman-Review

It did not take long for Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Terrance McKinney (12-3) to get back in the cage following his win against Farès Ziam (12-4) on Feb. 26, on the UFC Vegas 49 preliminary fight card.

“My manager said (the next fight) was soon, so whether that’s two weeks or two months, I’ll take either,” McKinney said in his UFC postfight interview.

McKinney had just enough time to get home to Spokane and train for a few days before flying back to Vegas for his next fight, announced on March 4.

On Saturday, McKinney is scheduled to fight Drew Dober (23-11) on the UFC Vegas 50 main card after Dober’s previous opponent pulled out due to injury. This comes two weeks after McKinney’s first-round victory over Ziam.

“Whatever name they’ll throw at me, I’ll take,” McKinney said .

Dober has an impressive history with the UFC, despite losing his debut fight against Sean Spencer in 2013.

Since joining the UFC, he has had 17 fights and won nine . He has won both UFC Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night twice and prior to his recent losses, was in the UFC top 15 lightweight rankings.

Before contracting with the UFC, Dober fought in Strikeforce, Bellator and was a Prospect Fighting Championships Lightweight Champion.

Fighting someone of Dober’s caliber was something McKinney said he had been praying for.

“I asked God for it, and He put it right on the table for me,” he said.

There were no hesitations or reservations for McKinney for this fight despite the offer coming days after his win.

“Like I tell people, we have to seize the moment,” he said.

With a big name like Dober, McKinney knew he was worth more than what his current contract outlined and negotiated a new contract with the UFC for the fight.

“He’s the real deal, so I want to get paid the right amount of money for a guy like that,” he said.

The UFC was happy to oblige.

McKinney has the physical advantage in this fight.

He stands at 5-foot-10 compared to Dober’s 5-8 frame. McKinney has the advantage over Dober in arm and leg reach.

Furthermore, the Spokane native is on a five-fight win streak while his opponent is looking to break his two-fight losing streak.

Dober, however, is quick with his hands and could prove to be a difficult match – five of his nine UFC wins are by knockout.

“(Dober) was just the perfect opponent too, and like the momentum (is) so good right now,” McKinney said. “I just want to stay on top of things, stay focused, and the best way to do that is by fighting.”

UFC Vegas 50: Santos vs. Ankalaev can be viewed with an ESPN+ membership.

The main card starts at 4 p.m. Saturday.

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