Terrance McKinney biography: 13 things about UFC fighter from Spokane, Washington

Terrance Kitarius “T Wrecks” McKinney is an American professional mixed martial artist from Spokane, Washington, United States. He has four younger siblings and he considers their mother Kitara Johnson his hero.

Johnson was 16 when she gave birth to McKinney in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A former gang member in Chicago, she became a U.S. Army veteran and the chief human resources officer of Excelsior Wellness, a nonprofit healthcare organization in Spokane.

When McKinney was a little boy, his family moved to a military base in Germany. He attended elementary school there and was picked on for being small. 

From Germany, McKinney’s family relocated to Davenport, Washington where he was picked on for being black. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. He is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
2. Before joining the UFC, he competed in CageSport, ExciteFight, Front Street Fights, Midwest Championship Fighting and Legacy Fighting Alliance.
3. He is 5’10” tall and he competes in the lightweight division.
4. He holds a professional MMA record of 15 wins and 6 losses.
5. He worked construction before pursuing a career as an MMA fighter. He was inspired by Michael Chiesa, who graduated from Shadle Park High School in Spokane in 2006.
6. In 2007, he moved to Spokane.
7. In 2013, he graduated from Shadle Park High School where he was a standout wrestler. After his graduation, he had a brief stint at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA.
8. From 2014 to 2016, he wrestled at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, USA where he studied sports and recreation management. He transferred to Notre Dame College of Ohio in South Euclid, Ohio, USA but left after a semester.
9. He suffered from drug addiction, which started in college. In June 2015, he suffered from excited delirium while on a bad mix of alcohol, shrooms and acid during an arrest. Spokane Police Department officers restrained him and took him to Providence Holy Family Hospital in Spokane. His heart stopped two times but doctors were able to revive him. He was sentenced to 250 hours of community service.
10. As an amateur MMA fighter, he knocked out Cadence Ross of Spokane at the King of the Cage event “KOTC: No Remorse” on August 18, 2016 in Worley, Idaho.
11. On October 14, 2017, he made his professional MMA debut.
12. On June 12, 2021, he made his UFC debut.
13. On September 15, 2023, he turned 29.

Terrance McKinney’s professional MMA fights

2017

• On October 14, 2017, he submitted Armando Best at “CageSport 47” in Tacoma, Washington.
• On December 16, 2017, he submitted Best at “CageSport 48” in Tacoma.

2018

• On February 10, 2018, he submitted Tyrone Henderson at “Cage Sport 49” in Tacoma.
• On April 28, 2018, he submitted Brandon Todd at “CageSport 50” in Tacoma.
• On July 21, 2018, he was knocked out by Henderson at “CageSport 52” in Tacoma. 

2019

• On February 8, 2019, he knocked out Jeff Coleman at the ExciteFight event “Excite Fight: Conquest of the Cage” in Airway Heights, Washington.
• On April 19, 2019, he submitted Bobby McIntyre of Spanaway, Washington at the Front Streets Fights event “FSF 19” in Boise, Idaho.
• On May 18, 2019, he submitted Charon Spain of Walla Walla, Washington at “Excite Fight: Conquest of the Cage” in Airway Heights.
• On July 23, 2019, he was knocked out by Sean Woodson of St. Louis, Missouri, USA at “Dana White’s Contender Series” Season 3 episode 5 in Las Vegas.
• On October 19, 2019, he was submitted by Darrick Minner at the Midwest Championship Fighting event “MCF 18”.

2021

• On March 6, 2021, he knocked out Dedrek Sanders at the Strike Hard Productions event “SHP 59” in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
• On April 30, 2021, he knocked out Luiz Antonio Lobo Gavinho in the Legacy Fighting Alliance event “LFA 106” in Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA.
• On June 4, 2021, he knocked out Michael Irizarry at “LFA 106” at “LFA 109” in Shawnee.
• On June 12, 2021, he knocked out Matt Frevola at “UFC 263” in Glendale, Arizona, USA.

2022

• On February 26, 2022, he submitted Fares Ziam via rear-naked choke at “UFC Vegas 49” in Enterprise, Nevada.
• On March 12, 2022, he lost via technical knockout to Drew Dober at “UFC Vegas 50” in Enterprise.
• On August 6, 2022, he submitted Erick Gonzalez at “UFC Vegas 59” in Enterprise.

2023

• On January 21, 2023, he was knocked out by Ismael Bonfim at “UFC 283” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• On July 15, 2023, he was submitted by Nazim Sadykhov at “UFC Vegas 77” in Enterprise.
• On August 12, 2023, he defeated Mike Breeden via technical knockout at “UFC Vegas 78” in Enterprise.
• On October 14, 2023, he defeated Brendan Marotte via technical knockout at “UFC Vegas 81” in Enterprise.

2024

• On May 11, 2024, he was knocked out by Esteban Ribovics at “UFC on ESPN 56” in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.