Athletes
Torrez Finney Is Proving Himself Right
After Three Wins On Dana White’s Contender Series, Torrez Finney Is Ready To Show He Belongs At The Highest Level In His UFC Debut At UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy
Although each fighter takes a unique path to the Octagon, it’s fair to say nobody has taken the path of Torrez Finney.
The 26-year-old from Macon, Georgia, first showed up on the UFC radar in October 2023 when he scored a second-round submission win on Dana White’s Contender Series to stretch his record to 7-0 with six finishes. However, it wasn’t enough to impress the boss, as UFC CEO Dana White didn’t give Finney a contract that night. Finney was hardly the first victor to experience such a fate, and after securing a first-round knockout win on the regional scene, he returned to the UFC APEX for a second go under the Contender Series banner.
In his return to the show, Finney secured a decision win, but White’s words were arguably harsher, saying Finney would be “absolutely decimated” in the UFC. Instead of getting discouraged, Finney heeded White’s words and returned about six weeks later for a third bout on the show and secured a dominant first-round finish.
Watch Torrez Finney's Fight Week Interview
And as the adage goes, his third win was the charm.
“When you doubt me, I work harder,” Finney told UFC.com. “That's just how I've always been. Growing up, it happened to me in football, happened to me in wrestling. When you hear that doubt or when people doubt you in certain areas or give you a challenge, I'll look forward to that. I'm like, ‘OK, I'm going to prove myself right.’
“I knew I could make it this far. I knew that I could do really big things within the UFC, so I'm just proving myself right.”
As he approaches his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy, Finney said he didn’t change up too much in his preparation for Robert Valentin. He touts his ability to stay “locked in” as to why he was able to work his way to the promotion, even choosing to leave his job and train full-time after his second amateur bout.
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His commitment hasn’t shaken or dropped off just because he finally earned his contract, but he has enjoyed the increase in attention that comes with fighting under the banner of the mixed martial arts leader. Fans have particularly clung onto Finney’s physique as a 5-foot-8 middleweight.
“Obviously, (people want) a few more pictures when you walk outside,” he said. “A few more people (are like), ‘Oh, you're Torrez,’ and social media, you know how social media is, especially with the memes about my body and all that stuff. But I enjoy it. I really do appreciate it.”
Although most fighters look forward to the walk, Finney’s three trips to the APEX Octagon have him more ready than most. He isn’t even thinking too much about how it’ll feel getting a proper introduction for the first time. Rather, he is fully focused on getting the win over Valentin, a man he believes he could have met earlier had he joined The Ultimate Fighter and faced Valentin in the finale instead of the eventual winner, Ryan Loder.
But what matters to Finney is that he is here and gets a chance to show the best version of himself. The journey was unique, but he believes it is just another chapter to his story of overcoming outside expectations of himself. On April 5, he becomes an official UFC fighter, and, by night’s end, he believes he will be an official UFC victor.
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“I'm going to be me — go out here and dominate,” he said. “I don't go out to look for close fights. I don’t look to have wars. I don't go out to be like, ‘Oh, man, we out here, it's going to be a battle.’ No, I look to go and dominate every fight. I want every fight to be won in a dominant fashion, and that's just going to be me throughout my career here.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!