“These guys have just been big brothers to me and are really just showing me how to move around as a UFC fighter; not just inside the cage, but outside the cage,” McKinney said. “Just making sure I’m being a professional on the media side and making sure I’m interacting there and showing up to events. They show me how to be a champion, and it’s been a huge honor.”
Not only has McKinney had a huge change when it comes to training, he also recently became a father. He admits he hasn’t been getting much sleep and, at one point, had to have his son go to Oregon so he could focus on training. Even with the ups and downs, being a dad has made McKinney more motivated than ever before.
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“I finally know what real love is,” McKinney said. “I never knew what it was like to really love someone until I got to see the face of my son.
“It was a little bit more nerve wracking having the fight now because winning is the only option now. It stresses you out a little bit, but it also motivated me, and when my son was watching me jump rope, it made me able to go harder. Just seeing him there, his presence, his energy. It makes me want to give him my all and stop being lukewarm in the fight game. I’m ready to go all-in and give my son the best future possible.”
Leading up to his fight against Bonfim, McKinney said he suffered an eye injury during his weight cut which he believes lead to the confusion on fight night and, ultimately, the knockout.
