UFC CEO Dana White didn’t mince his words when assessing Torrez Finney’s recent performance at the Contender Series.
Finney, an undefeated middleweight from Tennessee, appeared on the August 20 episode of the UFC’s Talent Search Series, taking on the much larger Cam Rowston. Finney won his fight via unanimous decision, but didn’t impress White enough to earn a coveted UFC contract. In fact, he seemed to do the exact opposite.
RIP Torres Finney’s UFC chances 😭 pic.twitter.com/uQT3sqppOk
— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) 21 August 2024
“With the way you performed tonight, you would be absolutely decimated in the UFC,” White told Finney at the end of the Contender Series. “You’re 25 years old, kid. You’re obviously a talented athlete. Go out and have three or more fights this year, then come back and talk to us about the UFC. You were completely exhausted tonight. You struggled to get through three rounds. You’re not ready for the UFC.”
It was Finney’s second appearance on the Contender Series. He defeated Yuri Panferov by submission on last year’s show, but was unable to secure a UFC contract in that attempt either.
According to White, Finney’s win in 2023 was actually better than his victory on Tuesday against Rowston.
Either way, the win over Rowston brought Finney to an impressive 9-0 as a professional. He has scored finishes in seven of his nine victories. He spent the majority of his professional career under the iKON FC banner. He also went 5-0 as an amateur.
While White did not give Finney a UFC contract, he did so on Tuesday night for four other hopefuls: Cody Haddon, Cortavious Romious, Rizvan Kuniev and Andreas Gustafsson.
The next episode of Dana White’s Contender Series is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27. In the main event, Russian middleweight Andrey Pulayev will face American Liam Anderson.
