Terrance McKinney has a new opponent for this Saturday.
No stranger to jumping on short-notice opportunities himself, McKinney (14-6) now fights newcomer Brendon Marotte (8-1) in a lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 81 following the withdrawal of originally scheduled opponent Chris Duncan. The Scotsman is reportedly out due to visa issues. MMA Fighting confirmed the news with sources familiar with the matchup.
McKinney was first to announce the opponent change during an Instagram Live interview with The Schmo.
The change keeps McKinney’s fourth UFC appearance of 2023 intact. He opened the campaign with losses to Ismael Bonfim and Nazim Sadykhov, but returned to the win column this past August with a blistering 85-second knockout of Mike Breeden. The 29-year-old currently holds a 4-3 record inside the octagon.
Marotte, 26, makes his UFC debut on a three-fight win streak. The New England-based fighter has competed primarily for Combat Zone and Classic Entertainment & Sports MMA. In his most recent outing in August, he defeated Lionel Young via first-round submission.
Mike Heck contributed to this report.