MMA Fighting - Torrez Finney On The Rock's Influence, Nearly Signed Elsewhere Before Earning UFC Contract

Episode Date: October 8, 2024

New UFC contract winner Torrez Finney discusses earning a UFC contract on his third shot on Dana White's Contender Series, the road to get there, White blasting him after his second DWCS win, nearly signing with another promotion before the call to step in on short notice for his historic third DWCS win, wanting to take some time off before UFC debut, The Rock's influence on his post-fight interviews, and more with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow on Twitter Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. All right, let us say hello to a man who is the newest member of the UFC's middleweight division and somebody who a year from now, three years from now, so forth and so on, that when we look back on this current season of Dana White's Contender Series, he'll be the guy on the thumbnails, he'll be the lead image, the story of the season. Third time was the charm for Terez Finney, who joins me days after his first round TKO win over Abdullah Arami, and finally got the come on. over here kid you're in torres how are you sir i'm doing great today uh mr mike uh it's

really good and honorable to be here on to be on the show with you man and uh yeah man i'm really excited thank you very much of course you did it man third time on the program second time this season second fight like six weeks or something like that on the contender series torres finney ufc middleweight how does that sound is that sunk in yet for you you know it's fun i just got that question not too long ago. And I said, yeah, it has sucking in. You know, when you fall three times in the UFC apex, you already feel like you're a UFC fighter, you know,

let alone, you know, when I said that in my press conference, it's like three times on the contender series, three times in the apex, you know, you're going through that whole process. Now, yes, going through the contendency process, obviously I know fighting, UFC fight week saying it with my teammate Trevor Peek. Yeah, I know there's a lot more stuff added to. to the actual UFC fight week. But just going through that process over and over and over again,

you're just like, man, you're built for this moment. You know, you're going to be ready. And I know that I am on that level. And I tell people this all the time. It's not because I just say that. Like, I've seen myself go with really, really good high-level fighters. And, man, and that are literally ranked, are very high-level in the UFC.

And I know where I stand. So I feel really confident. Yes, I'm excited. Yes, I really do believe that me being the UFC, the way of it's the right decision. So let's do it. So there those who have been following my journey with M.A. fighting. I've said your name a lot over the last couple of years because I went to Jorge Mazadol's icon FC4 event was Cajide in Savannah covering the car because I live like 30 minutes from there. So when I knew they were coming, I went to check out the show and you fought

Justin Dorsey and you just put it on him. And I remember talking to to Mazadol and Dean Toul and then Abe Kawa, your manager after the fight, and I was like, who the hell is this guy? Who is this ridiculous athlete? And then they're telling me that you're only 23 and you were what, two, maybe three years into actually competing in MMA before that fight? Yes, very true. I had turned pro after about 11 months. And then after that, then what happened?

Yeah, once I turn pro, I have my pro debut early in February. February. I had another fight in May, I believe, May of June. And then I turned around and had that fight in August. And yeah, you know, I had a great opportunity to be on a Hory and Mazvedals card. USC fight pass as I said, yeah, let's do it. So, and it was in Savannah. You know, I'm a Georgia boy currently here in Georgia now in Macon. So Savannah is only like two hour, two and a half hour south. And a lot of people came out and supported me, which I really think. And yeah, I definitely had a great opportunity going and show and do work, man. And like I said in that interview on the end, I said, The Punisher is here.

You know, I'm here now. You know, there's no more, I'm on the way. I'm coming. You know, we at the gas station. We're here now. So that's why I'm excited to finally be here and ready to go, man. I am. It's pretty crazy because on that card and then I think maybe it's two months later,

they came back and you were on that card. Malcolm Wellmaker also on that card. Both of you fought on the season of the contender series. Both of you are now in the UFC. I was there for that one as well because you fought a little bit of a tougher test. You just smothered this guy. It was a lot of control. Eventually got him out there in the third round. But again, I go and talk to the guys and I was like, yeah, it was like the dude's a beast. And they were all kind of an agreement. Yeah, he is, but maybe a little bit of an off night.

But then the switch flipped between the second and the third round that you had to go out there and finish. Just the damage, I guess, wasn't really on display from what I recall until the actual finish. Was that a fight that was one of those big learning experience fights for you from your recollection? you were dominant, but it was obviously not the same type of performance as you had two months prior. Yes, yes. I agree. And I tell people, you know, everything is predicated on matchups. It's predicated on, you know, what you're going to have to do to find a way to get W for that particular matchup.

Now, I don't go in ever thinking, man, I'm just going to control somebody. I hate that. Like, I love to get guys out of there early, like this last one. I don't want to go to a decision. I don't want to go to the third round, you know. I'm prepared and able to, but we want to get guys out of there as quick as possible. And I know I have a very dominant style that where I can control and look for great opportunities in certain places. But yeah, that was a learning experience.

That was my toughest opponent up to date at that point. Ivan Battenich, you know, Ivan had, if anybody know much about him, he was training at AKA, he trained with Habib, he trained with D.C., trained with Luke Rockhole. I was actually one of Luke Rockwell's main sparring partners at one little point through his career. and yeah, I mean, he's seen about as good as wrestling as you can see as well, you know, and it was great test for me to see how I was able to implement my style and this guy like that because, yeah, he comes from A.K.A. He actually does a lot of kickboxing, but in his fights, he would take guys down and wrestle a lot. So it was good to see the clash of styles,

and yeah, it was hard for me to do a lot of things, but I learned from that fight. I really did. And, you know, I know probably jumping a little bit, but like even a little bit like the last fight for Cam Roustin. Cam, another guy that was really good on the ground. If anybody knew anything about Cam or did research, I know people saw him come to City kickboxing, but Cam is more of a jujitsu guy. Cam does a lot of judic. He actually teaches jujitsu at city kickboxing.

He actually a big-time jiu-jitsu competitor for that school. So he's a brown belt. So that was really his main thing that he does in fighting, rather than, you know, he strikes. He is a really good striker because he did. did the King of Ring and all that. But I think that fight is a clash of styles. So it was just jiu-jitsu going against my wrestle,

which still made it to fight a little bit. So, and that was a little similar with Ivan. And yeah, I know I'm going to see guys that do things like that. But I got to find ways to get around and still continue to go towards the finish and continue to go towards doing damage in the fight. So I agree, but again, that's me young in the game still. And I'm learning. And I'm good, you still continue to you go.

Yeah. And you just kept fighting, kept two more in 2023. And then you get the call on. the Contender Series and you fight Yuri Panoroff, who I was very familiar with because I grew up in New England, lived in New England for years and years and years. So I know he fought in CES, very dominant in CES. I think he's 5 at O in the promotion. And I thought you going out there and being the first guy to not only beat him, but finish him, I thought you were definitely getting signed there. But his fate would have it, you did not. What was that moment like for you?

because I'm sure you were sitting back there in the contender series director chair, just waiting for Dana to shine you up, waiting to hop up and collect your contract, and then he says, no. Man, that was a while. So it was funny because I would, a lot of people, not before that fight, but at certain times people was like, man, then you just running through guys, man, I would like to see you get pushed a little bit.

And I'm like, man, you know, I'm thinking you're getting pushed. You know, I feel like I've fought some tough guys. And, you know, Yuri caught me a few times in the first round. and I sat on the stool and coach, you know, was telling me what to do. And I was hearing my mind and said, all right, I can definitely tell. I had got to take down the end of that first round. And I was like, he's fatiguing, man, he's fatiguing. And I was thinking to myself, I'm like, you know, we love the weather the storm.

I've been in that situation like that a lot, you know, growing up in wrestling, weather than that storm, all right now. We're going to go because I, you know, I'm big about not quitting. Like trying to, I like to see the other guy quit. I like to see the other guy break. If I can make him break, it gives me even more confidence. It's like it stirs up energy in me. And, you know, I came out there and, you know,

had almost nearly a flawless second round. You know, I utilized my strikes to get to the takedown. Atlanta had some big, heavy shots on him. Then I was really negative choke. And Yuri was undefeated as an amateur and a pro. So I was his first loss he ever had in his entire career. So I was like, man, I'm going to get it. And I hear a lot about Dana talking about he loved to see people

come adversity. And I'm thinking, man, I got it. And then I had the UFC crew, the UFC next level crew, filming me going through the whole process there in the back. Oh, yeah, man, you're going to get that country. I was that fight. You know, everybody hyped me up. The UFC personnel, they're like, oh, man, that was a great fight.

You're going to get it. Then he said, and plus, I was the only one in the chair. And I was sitting here like, wow, I was not expecting that. But I didn't think much of it. And, yeah, we just, you know, left. went on with the flow, man. I said, all right, like I always say, whether it's a win, whether something good, what's something bad, all right, what's next?

And that's the type of mentality I have. Dana said that night, look, you're obviously very talented. You're a little green, a little rock, go get some fights out on the regional scene, come back, and we'll give you a shot. And then you go on and you have this knockout in May that everybody in MMA saw because it just went absolutely viral. And then you're back on the contender series. You talked about the Cam Roastin fight, who was just a,

just the styles are weird, but he's just a massively tall man as well, just a giant. It was crazy seeing you guys face off the day before, but you go in there and you win, and then Dana cuts a promo on you saying that you would get destroyed in the UFC. We told you to go get experience. You only got one fight. What happened with all that? Because I know you mentioned this in other interviews, but to those who may not know, why did you only have the one fight between the first and second contender series fights?

So right after the year he's parents for our fight, I did sustain a little bit of an injury. I'm healed completely now. You know, people see my pecks, and I had partially torn one of my pecks. And I was out for about nine, ten weeks. But he'll find perfectly, it was good to go, boom. Then going to the next season,

I actually got offered to be on the Ultimate Fighter. So I was like, couldn't wait, short time, you know, doing all this stuff. You know, not the short time for the Ultimate Fighter, but more of like the process in the Ultimate Fighter, going through the house, you know, the six weeks of that. I was thinking about it, and I said, you know what? I was thinking of my mind, you know what? Winoka Tennis Series, go and win an ultimate fighter.

Let's go do it. So that was my mindset. So I accepted it. And I get all the way to the hotel and, you know, the head producer comes up and he's like, we're going to, you know, a different route. You know, we're not going to select you. If anything, we're just going to make your alternate, just in case somebody, something happens.

But I can fight. And once you sign a contract for the Ultimate Fighter, for those first four months, you're not allowed to compete because, obviously, let's say you're in the process, they want to bring in the house, you get injured in a fight. You can't fight in the house.

You know, you just messed up, mess them up. So I actually was looking to fight. My plan was to try to fight in February. and or March. But obviously I was a part of the ultimate fighter. The moment I left the hotel. I went to Denver with my teammate Trophy. He was training in Denver about me and my manager got on,

you know, trying our best to find any help. Combat night. It really helped me out. They found an opponent. Boom. I had a fight about four or five weeks later. Then, like a week or two weeks after that, I get a call from my management team and say,

hey, you just got offered to be back on a contendant series. again. So it came, it then became a discussion whether or not if any do you want to take this fight and risk it, you know, obviously, you know, winning. We know, I was really confident I was going to win, but winning or getting hurt,

losing, bad performance, you know, do you want to have any, you know, we want to take that chance on that? And I was like, I want to get back in the cage because I don't want the first time for me to step back into a cage to be nearly a year. You know, August, from October to August, that's a long time to not see cage time. And I don't like that. You know, I want to be active.

I want to see the cage at least every, you know, four to five months, you know, three, three to four, three to four months. So I want to see the cage. So I say, yeah, I'm going to take that fight. And we took a risk on doing that. And obviously, it turned out to be the most viral knock, one of the most vows of the year. And then go on to the Cam Rousin fight.

Obviously, that fight was a little, you know, a little bit of a dub. Like I said, clash of styles. I felt like, you know, having an 11 takedown. That was pretty wild. in itself, I wouldn't expect him trying to go out there and do it, I was trying to go out there and finish. But, you know, he was a clash of style. He played really good as you did too,

did really good things with his butterflies. Yeah, and when Dana said that, you know, I was like, wow, you know, he was like, I told you go get more fights. You'll get absolutely dismantled on me, decimated in USC. And I was saying, thinking to myself, I'm like, but y'all had me on the, you know,

I would have had more fights. I probably would have had two more fights, you know, but it was a weird way. of thinking because even when I was walking back, you know, USC crew was still following me. And I'm sitting here thinking like, he told me, why are y'all still following me?

It was weird. And, yeah, I get on the bus and I'm like, you know, again, we're on to what's next. And talking about management team, you know, we were making plans, you know, be honest. You know, we were making plans for other directions, you know, with fighting, you know, we were going to maybe different promotions.

And that was on the horizon. and boy, people little do people know how close we were. I mean, it was day of close. Really? Day of close. I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life. I was sleep. I woke up.

I just scroll them on Twitter. First thing I see is Michael Chandler, bet on yourself. He had bet period on period yourself. Bet on yourself. And I said, man, I like that. I screenshot it because I was. thing like, been on myself to go to this other promotion. Screenshot, it put on my story, go to sleep.

Wait right back up. Malky's calling. He said, hey, man, have you signed that contract yet? I said, no, not yet. They're supposed to send it to me soon. You know, finding some words in there and stuff. You know, just making sure everything's cool and clean. He said, I got an opportunity for you.

And I said, there's only one promotion that could possibly stop me on what I'm about to sign. And he said, they want you back for continuing series. Week 8. I was like, you're joking. I said, there's no way. I said, after everything you just said,

I said, there's just no way. And he was like, yep, they want you back. They gave me the opponent. They said, you just got to tell me yes or no. I talked with my team. Now, I'll be honest with you, my family was not on the biggest side of my mom especially.

She was like, he ain't going to tell you. do you like that and you're going to go back on that show again? I was like, look, look, look. It's funny because obviously, you know, especially for me and especially in my family, even my hometown, some of this stuff is still new to them. You know, obviously the MMA scene, the UFC scene. So they really didn't grasp, you know, how much,

you know how big the UFC is obviously in the world of MMA. And I was like, no, this is the big promotion. Like, this ain't nothing. You just be like, ah, F y'all. I was like, no, we can definitely take advantage of this. But they always support. of me, man. They've been support of me when I made the decision to even fight. So, yeah, man. And I say, yeah, I said, let's do this thing. Let's go make history. And the first one ever went three

times on the show. I said, the story would be beautiful, man. And I was like, I like this. Let's go do it. I say, I'm 25. 25, 9 and no, we don't go and take chances like this now, you know, when will you ever? Because I don't think, honestly, I don't think there ever be another guy that'll be two and no on the contend. Well, winning twice in a tendency to not get it the second time. It's hard for me to see that. So I feel like, man, those these doppler opportunities just don't come to everybody,

take advantage of it and make the best of it. And I was really blessed to be able to do that. Are you able to share which promotion you were like on the doorstep of? No, no, no, no, no, I can't. Okay, that's fair. But I had to ask. Yeah, for sure. Oh, yeah, for sure, for sure.

But yeah, yeah, but. Yeah, but they're worldwide. No, they definitely will live. Yeah, I think I probably haven't figured out, but we'll just kind of leave it at that. When the referee pulls you off of him on Tuesday, were you just like, was the weight lifted off? Or were you still, was there still a part of you that was a little nervous right now?

Because Dana cut the probe on you, yeah, they brought you back. You've had cameras following you and such. Was there still a part of you thinking, man, I'm going to sit in this chair, but I still don't know if I'm getting up to go get this contract. See, I came in with a little bit of a different mentality this time. I said, I'm just going to here to fight. I'm excited to come back on here and fight for a third time. I was thinking more be the first got to ever be three and on the contender series.

Three times. And my goal was to win by ground in town. I was like, we got to get back. Because I wanted to win all three different ways, just to say, I won three different ways. And I'm thinking more of like, there. is possibly no way. I just be, they just can't. I mean, I'm sitting thinking to myself.

I said, come on. Like, what more do a brother got to do? Because I walked over there. He said, that's what I'll be waiting on. There you go. And I said, what more do a brother got to do? I don't do it all, every way you can possibly do it. And, you know, because I had that stuck in the back of my head, you know, already going

into the fire. I said, I got to win by a knockout. I got a win by a knockout. Like some type of knockout. I got to win. And then I said, man, I'll dance all over your middleways. That's when I did that little dance like that. But, man, I was, I was, I was, I was like really, really confident that I was going to get it this time.

I really was like the training camp, the things that was going on within the camp, you know, outside of camp. Man, things were just going really, really good for this camp. And even though it was short week, you know, it was only, I only had four weeks to get ready. So it was like it was long. But, man, I was so confident going in. I was like, man, he's going to have to keep. me to get me out of here this time, man. I'm going in here and I'm going, I'm going for broke.

Like, I'm really going for broke to, you know, I was just really confident, man. And I said, I'm going to get this contract this time. And, man, you know, when he sent one of his guys in the back, he said, hey, Dana wants your family member's name, you know, who here, and give me some nicknames. And I'm sitting thinking of names, and I'm just giving them a bunch of names on the paper.

And that was a little bit of a good indication because we a little bit, we did know a little bit for the K.m. Rousson fight. I used to know what he was going to say. And the camera rouser, we knew in the back, because I was texting Maliki. I said, Malki,

said it to me straight, what do you think? And he sent back a text, not looking too good. I said, oh, Lord. Oh, man.

So, and then I was like, and I sent him a text this time, and he was like, yeah, I trust the process, baby, trust the process.

And I was like, I'm more confident for this on this time. So I was, I was, I was about 99% sure I was going to get one. Yeah, I think people, like Twitter blew up, they're like, all right, he's in as soon as the finish happened. So I think everyone's kind of on your side there and they should be. A couple last things.

One thing I remembered also from seeing you fight in Savannah were the post-fight interviews, because you always went to the people's champion, the rock at the end. And if you smell what Torres is cooking, when did that start? because I grew up in that era when it was Rock and Steve Austin at the peak of their powers and you're way younger than I am. So you would have missed most of those runs outside of like the occasional return angles and such.

How did that happen having the Rock sort of enter the Torres Finney post-fight persona? Well, I'm a big professional wrestling fan. You know, I'm big into WW. Obviously, even AEW. I've watched those things. Now, I don't watch them as religiously as I used to growing up.

But growing up, man, with all my cousins, man, we used to get on the trampoline. If anybody knew anything about the trampoline is the WW ring for a lot of kids. And when they tell you not to do those things at home, we surely did not listen. So we did all on that stuff at home. And we're there on the trampoline,

jumping up and down. We do it all WWE moves. And I think that's a part of a little bit like what helps me be able to speak, you know, in that promo-esque type way. We used to do that. We used to have our toy mic, and we were like, man, I'm coming on your birthday, and I'm coming to take that belt.

When I have that belt, you know, me and all my cousins, and we were playing like that, and it was just that type of thing, man, you know, just that type of thing. And yeah, man, I'd be in a cut that type of promo. And I love The Rock, man. I'm a big fan of Rock. Now, my favorite wrestler is The Undertaker. I'm a big Undertaker fan. But I love the Rock.

I love his promo cutting, and I would just sit there and watch that. And I used to do some of that type of stuff in high school. I would be like, if you smell, you know, like, but I wouldn't say Torres, like, throw in something, something else. I wouldn't say to rock at that time because I was like, I'm not going to just say the rock. But when I was getting into fighting, I said, man, I got to think of something. And it was my second amateur fight.

I won the title. And one of my friends was like, what are you going to say up in the fight? And I said, ever since I was a kid, I wanted to do this. And I said that in my second amateur fight, I said, I've been wanting to do this my entire life. And I go, if you can smell. And I said, what the champ is. because I was a champion at that time. So, yeah, man, I just kept it, kept rolling because kids and people's like, man,

I've been looking forward to that. Like, they look forward to the, if you can smell. I even have fans, they look forward to, like, if you can smell what Torres is kicking. So it's really cool, man. And, yeah, it's funny, like, how stuff what you would do as a kid is now being gravitated and translated to what you do as an adult now. So, man, that's why we're- I was a big rock mark in high school myself.

But again, I'm way younger. than you actually went to a hollow 299 went to my Halloween dance as the rock didn't have the the sideburns at the time so I had to paint on the the people sideburns or jewelry I bought a leopard button down shirt this is like 99 rock sunglasses and everything and everyone was like oh my god dude and I can't find a picture of it anywhere like one of my old teachers like set me one one day and I can't find it anywhere this I had hair back then and everything it was it was the best You got to find that, bro. You got to find that.

That was a legendary, man. I had a friend from high school that went for Halloween dressed up as the rock with the black long sleeve. He had the chain around the neck. And then he put his arm on the stairs, on the stair set. And, you know, with the stance and the look. So he had that one. And yeah, that was pretty cool. So, yeah, man, you look, you got to get that vitchie, dude.

Hey, that'll be awesome. I would like to see that. The rock's bald now. So we can, now we can do it again here in 2020. before. When do you want to debut? Do you want to, I mean, you, you are a very active fighter. I assume you want to get back in there before the end of the year, or do you, have you just been through so much this year at this point, emotionally, physically that, you know, if it's January, February, wouldn't be the end of the world. Yeah, I definitely, one, I want to take

some time to allow my body to heal up a little bit. I told people having that many, um, I fought twice in two weeks, I mean, six weeks. So for me, like I'm a I cut a good bit of weight. So to cut weight twice in that time span, now I didn't get a chance to bolt back up because they called me literally a week after my fight. So it's not like I had a chance to bolt up like I usually would.

I just needed a time to let my body rest. I was telling people like, I had already had a vacation plan. I had to freaking let my universal studio tickets go. Because once you buy those tickets, they're final, the sales are final. So I was like, oh, man, I was going to go to Universal. and, you know, just have some fun and just enjoy myself.

But now I'm just focusing only on, you know, just getting better and let my body rest. I got to let my body rest chest a little bit, so I might not fight anymore. But I always tell my manager my goal every year is to have three fights on a year. And it was a blest. I mean, what a way to have three fights on a year, you know, the knockout, and then two fights in the contendix series. So I got my three fights in on a year. If there's always a way I can get four, I'm definitely down.

But I am looking forward more to March. March, April-ish, around that area, you know, give myself to allow myself to continue to keep getting better because you don't want to just be in camp all the time. You want to have times to where you're actually focusing on skill development. And I think right now from this part of the year, since we're here in October all the way to December, skill development. And then, you know, working on certain things in skill,

we've got three months to work on it, boom. When January it hits, looking for a fight, getting ready to jump into a camp, and we'll get ready for March or a, or whatever whatever need be. Love that. Congratulations, Torres, on getting the contract. Excited to see what you can do in the UFC.

Just literally before you hopped on, I was watching the video of you returning home to Macon and celebrating with your friends and family, which is awesome. So I'm obviously looking forward to the debut. I have to ask one last thing of you. Can you give us the people sign off, a la the great one, the rock.

Can we do this? You already know it, man. Look, thank you for having me on the show, Mr. Heck. And as always, But if you get some bad What the rest is Thank you, my man. Congratulations again.

Thank you, brother. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.