Torrez Finney has his first UFC assignment.
After three wins on Dana White’s Contender Series, Finney (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was awarded a contract in October. Six months later, he’ll make his promotional debut when he battles “TUF 32” runner-up Robert Valentin (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a middleweight matchup April 5. UFC Fight Night 256 is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Both fighters confirmed the matchup on social media after an initial report Saturday by Eurosport NL.
Finney, 26, first entered the international spotlight in 2023 when he defeated Yuri Panferov on DWCS. Dana White told Finney he wanted him to build up experience before signing. Finney returned to the regional scene with a thunderous knockout, then defeated Cam Rowston on DWCS in 2024. White was critical of Finney’s performance and pointed to only one regional fight taken between DWCS seasons.
However, after White’s comments, Finney explained in interviews that he was tied up due to a commitment to “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show that did not come to fruition. The promotion gave him a third DWCS shot and he defeated Abdellah Er-Ramy by first-round TKO. White acknowledged the error in judgement and offered Finney a contract.
Valentin, 29, represented his home country of Switzerland well on “The Ultimate Fighter 32” as he finished Giannis Bachar and Paddy McCorry in under four minutes combined to reach the season final. However, American wrestler Ryan Loder upset him in the final with a second-round TKO.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 256 lineup for April 5 includes:
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Luis Gurule vs. Ode Osbourne
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Daniel Frunza vs. Rhys McKee
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Dione Barbosa vs. Diana Belbita
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Ariane Carnelossi vs. Loma Lookboonmee
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Talita Alencar vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
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Torrez Finney vs. Robert Valentin
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 256.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Fan-favorite UFC prospect Torrez Finney books debut fight
