Torrez Finney’s UFC fighting career is going international.
The former JCHS two-sport standout will make his return to the octagon for the first time since last April on Jan. 31 when he takes on Jacob Malkoun in UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.
“I’m really excited about getting back in the cage. This could be right at the longest I have been outside the cage, but I think it was beneficial for me. It allowed me to heal up and work on things that I needed to work on,” Finney said. “One thing I have said before is that sometimes my career has gone faster than my skillset was able to match up with. That’s not a bad thing. In the process, you need to get better, and I have gotten a lot better since then.”
Finney, unbeaten at 11-0 overall and 1-0 in the UFC, will put that unbeaten mark up against a very partisan crowd in Syndey, where Malkoun calls home. Finney’s fight, as will other UFC fights under the new media contract for the UFC, will be on Paramount Plus.
“I’m really excited. I’ve never competed internationally. That’s why I’m really excited, to go over to what they call ‘the land down under,’ to Australia and go against one of their guys,” Finney said. “That’s actually one of the exciting parts. It’ll be directly where he was born and raised, there will be a lot of people on his side.”
So unlike previous fights, Finney will have the approach of a road underdog, but he has no problem making a callback to his hometown roots on how to approach his next fight. Finney vividly remembers the 2014 season of Jones County football where the Greyhounds stunned Carver Columbus and Kell before falling in a thriller to Mays.
“I have always been the guy that most of the people in the home crowd have cheered for, so this will be my first time as kind of the road team, the road dog,” Finney said. “It gives me those vibes that I have not had a chance to experience since when I was playing college football or in our first year with Coach (Justin) Rogers. To go in then and beat those teams and win, those are the types of moments that excite you. So, I’m excited to go in, get booed, and have everyone against me. It actually helps you fight better, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The venue won’t be the only thing different for Finney. With no fight since last April, this will mark a longer layoff than usual between bouts for Finney. That, he says, is actually a positive as it’s afforded time to heal up more and shift training gears. Finney now calls Gilroy, California, his training home, working out a facility led by UFC legendary fighter Daniel Cormier.
Finney says he can already see a difference.
“That has been so beneficial. I have seen so much growth into my game. It’s not always skillset, but it is also a mentality,” Finney said. “I feel like that’ll be showcased on Jan. 31.”
