Torrez Finney responds to decision to make a ‘DUD’ debut split

Las Vegas – Securing a victory in his UFC debut is a fighter’s dream, but the undefeated Trez Finney must face a nightmare reaction to his performance.

After winning three wins in the Dana White contender series, Finney (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) finally got the chance to compete under the UFC banner. His debut split decision victory over Robert Valentin is something he wants to move into the past soon.

“I would rather have a ugly ‘w’ than a good ‘l’,” Finney told reporters at a postwar press conference. “…We were really confident in our area. We obviously got to the ground. I felt like I was a better grappler. There was no doubt. He did better than I thought.

From a grappling standpoint, Finney was able to place Valentin (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) anywhere early in his battle with a few slams and a simple takedown. However, when the fight hits the canvas, there was nothing else that Finney offered other than simply restraining his opponent.

Over 15 minutes, Finney landed only four important strikes. This is the lowest output record for a 3-round decision. The damage was so low that dissenting judge Tony Weeks won all three rounds for Valentin despite having kept the majority in the fight back.

“In a way, I thought I just f’d this, I really did,” Finney said.

Finney doesn’t understand why he prevented him from unleashing more attacks in a dominant position. He says the goal is always to get a finish, but whether it’s anxiety from his UFC debut or any other factor, Finney says he’ll return to work to improve for his next outing.

“It was a strange performance,” Finney said. “It was in my honest opinion, it was cheating. You know, it happens. I’m not going to lie, I feel great. This is the best thing I’ve felt like going to fight.

“Like I said, came out with victory, that’s the main thing, but I’ve grown. I’ve been fighting since October 2020. Heck, my coach was telling me. My coach is under five years and you’re already in the UFC, a UFC victory.

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