Don’t miss the clash between Terrance McKinney and Nazim Sadykhov, two exciting lightweight finishers. Find out who will come out on top in this high-stakes matchup.
| Key Points |
|---|
| Terrance McKinney and Nazim Sadykhov are both exciting lightweight finishers |
| McKinney has a fast-starting style with many first-round finishes |
| Sadykhov relies on his power and likes to dictate the pace of the fight |
| This is a high-stakes matchup for both fighters’ careers |
| The fight promises to be one of the more entertaining bouts of the UFC Fight Night |
Fans won’t want to miss a second of this clash between exciting lightweight finishers. Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to. Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
The Fighters
Now a veteran of five UFC bouts, Terrance McKinney still hasn’t had to go past the second round after debuting for the promotion in 2021. ‘T. Wrecks’ got his pro career off to a fast start with three-first round finishes and added a third-round submission before suffering his first loss (via injury) in 2018. McKinney eventually earned himself a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series but was stopped in the second round by Sean Woodson. After dropping back-to-back fights for the only time in his career, he rattled off three more finishes to earn a UFC call-up. McKinney’s debut saw him finish Matt Frevola in just seven seconds to quickly establish himself as an entertaining addition to the roster. He’s now 3-2 in the promotion overall after being caught by a highlight-reel flying knee in his last fight with Ismael Bonfim.
Meanwhile, a brief 4-0 amateur career led into an inauspicious pro debut for Nazim Sadykhov. But since then, the 29-year-old has looked more impressive every time he’s stepped into the cage. Sadykhov rebounded from being finished in his first pro fight by scoring a pair of first-round knockouts. After going the distance for the first (and so far only) time in his career, he joined Fury FC in 2021. ‘Black Wolf’ finished all three opponent he faced in the Texas-based promotion, and in 2022 he received the call to appear on DWCS against Ahmad Suhail Hassanzada. The 29-year-old showed off his well-rounded skillset before stopping Hazzanzada in the third round. In his UFC debut, he and the unbeaten Evan Elder put on a Fight of the Night performance that saw Sadykhov walk away as the victor early in the third round due to a nasty cut.
The Matchup
It’s no surprise that McKinney is typically a fast starter considering how many first-round finishes he’s accumulated, and the southpaw will put everything behind his shots when engaging on the feet. The 28-year-old can certainly be caught by counters when he gets overzealous, but if opponents get clipped by one of his high kicks or step-up knees, then they might be the ones that end up on the mat. ‘T. Wrecks’ also loves to tee off on his opposition with wild punches when they’re covered against the fence, as well as mix in an occasional flying knee. McKinney also has solid grappling and will sometimes mix in reactive takedowns if he gets hurt or wants to change things up, and on the ground he’s constantly looking to pass an opponent’s guard in pursuit of a finish.
Also a southpaw, the majority of Sadykhov’s wins have come courtesy of the massive power that he carries in his hands. ‘Black Wolf’ relies heavily on loading up with his left hand, but he also has a dangerous right hook that he showed off against Hassanzada to earn a UFC contract on DWCS. Sadykhov ideally likes to be the one dictating the pace of the fight, as this allows him to start mixing in his kicks and try for more dynamic spinning attacks that have fight-ending potential. The 29-year-old isn’t easy to take down and makes good use of elbows and knees in clinch exchanges, but if he gets into top position, then opponents need to be active in order to avoid eating the huge ground-and-pound strikes that will be coming their way.
The Stakes
This is pretty clearly a fight that the UFC matchmakers are hoping ends in a wild finish, but aside from the promise of entertaining fans this bout is also an interesting test for each fighter’s respective career. Sadykhov enters this bout with the momentum of an impressive UFC debut and an eight-fight win streak, while McKinney is in danger of seeing his UFC record slip to 3-3. McKinney has already managed to make a decent name for himself through his entertaining fight style and activity on social media, which makes this a good chance for Sadykhov to get a win over someone familiar to a lot of UFC fans. The Azerbaijani fighter certainly has the power necessary to stop McKinney, but he’ll likely have to whether an early storm and did show in his UFC debut that he can get caught by big shots while coming forward. ‘T. Wrecks’ did show off a bit more of a patient approach in his last fight before being caught by Bonfim, but the assumption has to be that a longer fight will favor Sadykhov considering he has an impressive four third-round finishes to his name. It will also be interesting to see how each man handles an opposing southpaw, and if things do go to the ground both lightweights will be in for a tough battle to establish dominant position or get back to their feet. This is a well-matched fight for both men that promises to be one of the more entertaining bouts of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night, and fans will want to be in their seats when the opening bells sounds considering how capable these lightweights are of ending things inside the distance.
