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How UFC Fighter Overcame Drug Addiction: ‘God Brought Peace For Me’
By Movieguide® Staff
Professional fighter Terrance McKinney won his first UFC match on June 12, 2021, with a seven-second knockout of his opponent.
The Spokane native seemed made for the octagon. However, just a few years ago, McKinney almost lost his life to drug and alcohol addiction.
McKinney recently recalled when his fight with addiction left him unconscious in 2014.
“I’m already drinking, I end up taking acid and shrooms, and I’m tripping hard, and these demons come out of nowhere, and I’m trying to pray and I’m speaking a whole different language,” he told the Daily Wire. “So I started praying in my head and then I stood up and I said ‘I’m not afraid of you guys,’ and tried to walk, and then, my whole body shut down.”
“I had to watch myself fall through a window. There was nothing I could do, my whole body just shut down, I fell forward into the window, I couldn’t stop it,” he said.
Once Mckinney regained consciousness, police surrounded him, trying to stop his bleeding.
“We’ve gotta get a medic for you, alright. Nobody wants to hurt you,” the first responders said in bodycam footage.
Disillusioned by drugs, McKinney said that he fought the police trying to save his life. After they subdued McKinney and got him into an ambulance, his heart stopped multiple times.
When McKinney found himself handcuffed to a bed, he thought his life was over.
“I injured four cops and thought it was over. Thought I was going to get four or five years in jail,” he said.
However, McKinney only had to complete 240 hours of community service.
“I had to really think about what I was doing. People think this stuff is fun right now, but what happens if you’re dead? If I died that day, would I have been happy with what I accomplished? I don’t want to be that person to die,” he said. “I don’t want to be that person that died because of drugs. That’s not the legacy I want to leave. That just humbled me and made me get right.”
Through his faith in God and relationship with his mother, McKinney’s life looked completely different.
“God brought peace for me. There were times I was in dark places and He brought me through it,” he said, adding that his mother was “the one who guided me. She was my best friend, my leader. She always held me accountable … she was just that person to keep me in a straight line when I was going off the road or was on the wrong path.”
Due to his past, McKinney knows that his time in the UFC is not only about fighting but sharing his testimony.
“It’s not about just being a UFC champ and fighting. I’m here to help people heal,” he said. “Not just through me fighting, but through my work. Not just on the mat, but outside. Talking to the people who feel lost and alone. All it takes is just one person to reach out and show that you care.”
“People will talk to me about their story. I just know, this is what God called me to do, who He called me to be. There’s a bigger picture for this,” he added. “Trust your support team and don’t think about yourself. At the end of the day, take a deep look at your family, they’re sad, they’re wanting what’s best for you. Let that sit on your heart, use it as fuel to get better. Just remember, it’s never too late to right your wrongs.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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