Final Tuesday, 185-lb. prospect Torrez Finney lastly earned a coveted UFC contract after three separate appearances on Dana White’s Contender Collection over the previous yr. Within the course of, “The Punisher” not solely punched his ticket to the most important MMA promotion on the planet, however he additionally grew to become the primary fighter to attain three victories on the present.
From a flawless beginner profession, to getting into the UFC with an ideal 10-0 resume as knowledgeable, Finney is a recent and promising younger prospect for the middleweight division. Standing 5-foot-8, the 25-year-old ought to, on paper, be massively outsized for the burden class, however along with his stocky body and 75 1/2-inch attain, the Agoge Combatives product has remained undefeated.
The Journey to Contender Collection
Though he’s thought to be a 185-lb. phenom, Finney truly spent the vast majority of the primary a part of his fight sports activities journey far north of the division. He competed within the gentle heavyweight and heavyweight ranks for the primary 4 fights of his beginner run, weighing as excessive as 215 lbs. in a single occasion. It wasn’t till his ultimate struggle earlier than he turned skilled that he settled in as a middleweight, successful the Aries Combat Collection strap with a first-round submission.
On Feb 19, 2022, Finney barreled into the massive leagues with a robust second spherical knockout. The Georgia native then launched into a supremely dominant tear by the southern MMA circuit, scoring 5 consecutive wins, 4 of them ending inside the space.
Finney Heads to Apex For First Time
After solely competing as knowledgeable for a yr, Finney obtained his invitation to struggle for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Collection for the primary time in October 2023. His opponent was then fellow undefeated finisher Yuri Panferov, who possessed a sterling one hundred pc stoppage price.
Stopping the momentum of “The Russian Polar Bear” in its tracks, nevertheless, Finney wound up placing away Panferov with a splendid second-round rear bare choke. Sadly, the submission wasn’t sufficient to persuade Dana White to reward him with a contract, with the UFC CEO wanting the younger prospect to return to the regional scene to get somewhat extra expertise.
A Second Try at a Contract
Because it seems, he actually did solely want just a bit extra, because it took Finney only one first spherical knockout win earlier than he earned one other shot on the Contender Collection a yr later, the place he clashed with the 6-foot-2 Cam Rowston. Hailing from the famed Metropolis Kickboxing gymnasium, Rowston had all of the makings to be a nightmare matchup on the ft for the American. Finney, although, didn’t give his Australian adversary an opportunity to let his arms go, as “The Punisher” took Rowston down at will all through the struggle, taking the clear unanimous choice, handing “Van Damme” his first loss in six years.
Once more, Finney had come out on high. Certainly now could be the time for the middleweight juggernaut to eventually declare his place on the UFC roster? Sadly, White once more denied Finney his much-desired contract, stating that whereas he was a superb competitor, he would get “completely decimated within the UFC” after seemingly gassing out within the bout.
The Third Time Is the Attraction
In an unprecedented flip of occasions, nevertheless, the UFC CEO gave Finney a exceptional third likelihood to safe a spot within the promotion a mere two months later when he made his third general look on the Contender Collection in opposition to Abdellah Er-Ramy. In a masterclass efficiency, Finney dragged his opponent to the bottom, and after practically ending him with a rear bare choke, closed out the struggle with brutal floor and pound within the first spherical to report his third Contender Collection win.
This win proved to be sufficient for White to lastly award “The Punisher” with a long-sought-after UFC contract, remarking how Finney “Confirmed up with a very totally different vitality” in comparison with his earlier two showings on the Contender Collection.
Last Ideas
After greater than a yr and three totally different fights in opposition to opponents with a mixed report of 21-3, Finney can name himself a UFC fighter. Though the highway to the highest will solely get tougher from right here, the Southern stoppage specialist has made it abundantly clear that he is among the high 185-lb. prospects on the planet.
