Terrance McKinney has his sights set on his upcoming fight against Ismael Bonfim at UFC 283. But he’s also been very vocal about a future showdown with rising star Paddy Pimblett.
In the aftermath of UFC 282 where Pimblett won a controversial decision over Jared Gordon, the 28-year-old lightweight from Washington wasted no time asking for the matchup on Twitter while disagreeing with the judges that scored the fight.
“I’m killing this guy next for Gordon,” McKinney wrote along with the hashtag “robbery.”
In reality, McKinney knows as much as he’d like the chance to end the hype surrounding Pimblett, it’s highly unlikely the UFC would actually put that matchup together. Pimblett has quickly become one of the most talked about fighters on the entire roster, and McKinney is more than confident the attention surrounding the U.K. star would end rather emphatically if they faced off.
“I already know that [I won’t get Paddy Pimblett],” McKinney told MMA Fighting. “That’s why we’ve got some good names to call out in Brazil. Lord willing, everything goes to plan, because it’s a fight, anything can happen, so we’re taking it very seriously.
“Like I said, we’re putting the pressure on him, and he’s going to have to fight a pace he’s not used to fighting. We’re going to see who’s tougher.”
McKinney, who has three first-round finishes in his three UFC wins, doesn’t expect Pimblett’s level of competition to skyrocket any time soon, especially after his performance against Gordon.
Drew Dober, who counts as McKinney’s only loss in the UFC, has also previously mentioned Pimblett as a potential opponent. But 17-fight veteran doesn’t expect the matchmakers to rush to make that fight either.
“Drew would flatline him – I would flatline him,” McKinney said. “Honestly. He doesn’t want to fight either of us. Drew puts him out.”
If there was one compliment paid to Pimblett for his performance in the fight with Gordon, it was his durability after he absorbed numerous clean punches through the first two rounds.
While no one will question Pimblett’s chin after that outing, McKinney doesn’t exactly see that as an attribute that deserves quite as much praise as he’s receiving.
“[Paddy] was doing a good job of defending the punches with his face,” McKinney said. “I really admire [that]. He was trying to break Gordon’s fist on his face. That’s an extreme technique. I’ve got to practice it more.
“That [damage] just adds up. You can only do that for so long.”
Ideally, McKinney wants to begin working his way toward ranked competition, and by that measure, he doesn’t think Pimblett even qualifies. That’s why he’s got other ideas in mind once he gets through Bonfim on Jan. 21.
“Not at all [a top 15 guy],” McKinney said about Pimblett. “That’s why I told you stay tuned to Brazil, UFC 283.
“We’ve got some exciting names we’re going to be calling out and I think the fans are going to really enjoy the fights that I’m calling out for.”
