LAS VEGAS – For any fighter, winning their first UFC fight is a huge goal. But Torrez Finney, despite being undefeated, is facing criticism for how he performed in his debut.
Finney earned his UFC spot after winning three times on Dana White`s Contender Series. Now with an 11-0 record (1-0 in UFC), his recent split decision victory against Robert Valentin isn`t something he`s proud of and wants to forget.
Speaking to reporters after the fight, Finney said, “I`d rather have an ugly win than a good loss.” He explained that his strategy was to use his grappling skills, where he felt superior. Although he acknowledges Valentin performed better than expected in some situations, Finney also admitted he missed opportunities on the ground and needs to improve his execution.
In terms of grappling, Finney easily took Valentin down and controlled the fight position early on. However, once on the ground, Finney didn`t do much besides hold Valentin down.
Over the entire 15-minute fight, Finney landed only four significant strikes, which is the lowest number ever in a three-round decision. Because of the lack of offense, one judge, Tony Weeks, actually scored all three rounds for Valentin, even though Valentin was controlled on the ground for much of the fight.
Finney confessed, “In a way, I thought I really messed this up.”
Finney is unsure why he didn`t attack more from dominant positions. He stated his goal is always to finish fights. He believes either nerves from his UFC debut or something else hindered his performance, and he plans to train hard to improve for his next fight.
“It was a strange performance,” Finney commented. “Honestly, it was a dud. These things happen. I feel great physically, the best I`ve ever felt before a fight, but it was still a dud performance. I`ve felt much worse going into fights and performed incredibly. Tonight was just one of those nights.”
“Like I said, the win is the most important thing, but I need to learn and improve. I`ve only been fighting professionally since October 2020. My coach reminded me that in less than five years, I`m already in the UFC and have a UFC win. I need to appreciate that but also keep developing.”
