Terrance McKinney vs. Nazim Sadykhov Prediction: Can McKinney Get Back on Track at UFC Fight Night?
Terrance McKinney fights up-and-comer Nazim Sadykhov at UFC Fight Night this weekend. Can McKinney get back on track? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori
| 7 min
Terrance McKinney vs. Nazim Sadykhov Prediction: Can McKinney Get Back on Track at UFC Fight Night?
One of the more entertaining fighters in the lightweight division returns to action this weekend when Terrance "T Wrecks" McKinney fights up-and-comer Nazim Sadykhov. McKinney is looking to rebound from a loss, while Sadykhov is coming off a doctor's stoppage win in his UFC debut. Can Sadykhov stay perfect in the UFC, or will McKinney bounce back?
McKinney vs. Sadykhov Start Time and Where to Watch
When: Saturday, July 15, 2023
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Where: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, NV
Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+
Terrance McKinney vs. Nazim Sadykhov Prediction
McKinney took the UFC by storm when he debuted against Matt Frevola in 2021. He landed a seven-second knockout, then quickly backed that up with a first-round submission of Fares Ziam in just two minutes. One thing is clear when you watch McKinney fight - it will not be boring. McKinney fights like he's late for dinner and needs to get out of the octagon as soon as possible. While it makes for a super entertaining fight, it has also been his demise.
When McKinney rocked Drew Dober with a knee early in the first round, he poured on some ground and pound, but the relentless Dober (who is historically hard to knock out) survived, and once the fight got back on the feet, Dober landed his own knee that ended the fight. McKinney faced a similar fate against Ismael Bonfim last time out. McKinney had a pretty good first, pouring on aggression, but he slowed a bit in the second and left some defensive holes open, where Bonfim followed Dober's path and landed a flying knee that put McKinney out cold. McKinney lives by the sword and dies by it, but I still think he can win this fight, even if it seems scary.
Sadykhov debuted earlier this year in February with a win over Evan Elder. Elder was also newer to the UFC (0-1) at the time and looked great in the fight. Elder was up 2-0 on all three scorecards entering the third round, but a cut formed above his eye deemed him unsafe to fight by the ringside doctor. It sucked for Elder, as it goes down as a loss for him and a win for Nazim, even though he had him beaten up until then. So even though Nazim looks to be 1-0 in the UFC, he didn't actually look that great, and he has a lot of defensive holes himself.
This fight is -700 to NOT go the distance on FanDuel, which gives you a feeling of how this fight will end. You don't need the odds to tell you how it will go if you have watched McKinney fight. Yes, he is super aggressive and will gladly expose himself defensively to land his own offense. He's a fighter through and through, and it's almost like he feels like he didn't do his job if he doesn't find a finish, which is probably why Dana White signed him anyway after he lost on the contender series. This fight is most likely going to end with a Sadykhov knockout or a McKinney submission. Sadykhov has shown to have a pretty good chin, but McKinney's dynamic and aggressive grappling should get the job done.
I feel like people have been too quick to write McKinney off after a few losses. He's still somewhat young, and he has yet to hit his peak. The same can be said for Sadykhov, although he is actually older than McKinney. Still, McKinney is a few steps ahead at this point in his career and has more experience under his belt. I wouldn't be surprised to see McKinney start to display at least some patience in this fight and really hone in on his grappling. If you're giving me plus money on McKinney in this spot, I'll gladly take it against a guy I'm not as high on as others. Give me T Wrecks to bounce back.
Terrance McKinney vs. Nazim Sadykhov Picks
Pick: Terrance McKinney ML +130 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
Small Bet: McKinney by Submission +420 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick