2 months ago
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Heavyweight Tyrell Fortune roseate done nan professional MMA ranks astir a decade ago. It took until Saturday for him to unafraid his first UFC victory, though it did not travel without drama.
Fourteen years aft being pronounced dormant during a weight cut, Fortune now besides adds a UFC win to his comeback.
Fortune initially hit Marcin Tybura by unanimous determination astatine UFC Fight Night, receiving judges scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. However, cage announcer Bruce Buffer caused disorder by reference nan scores incorrectly, announcing totals that favored Fortune’s opponent.
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Tyrell Fortune reacts aft a triumph against Marcin Tybura of Poland successful a heavyweight conflict during nan UFC Fight Night arena astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected March 28, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The correction went unnoticed until Fortune had exited nan octagon and headed toward nan tunnel. Officials brought him back, wherever he was officially declared nan winner.
"I was truthful upset pinch myself," Fortune said arsenic he evaluated his performance. "I felt I didn't do enough. I was conscionable upset. With 2 weeks' notice, I consciousness for illustration I did a bully job, but I besides request to travel pinch a amended capacity adjacent time."
The erstwhile NCAA Division II wrestling champion’s way to Saturday’s triumph includes a 2012 weight-cut incident that near him pronounced dormant earlier he made a afloat recovery.
Tyrell Fortune prepares to look Marcin Tybura of Poland successful a heavyweight conflict during nan UFC Fight Night arena astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected March 28, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
He recalled nan experience, saying it still doesn’t consciousness existent years later. "I tried to hide astir it for truthful agelong ... because it seemed truthful far-fetched. Like, "Man. I died. Everything was complete for a second, and I came backmost to life,'" Fortune told ESPN.
"And it really changed my position of life successful wide and really I position conscionable surviving life connected a day-to-day basis. When you're successful a business for illustration that, you really commencement to look astatine your values arsenic a person, and you spot what's important to you, because it was each self-inflicted."
Marcin Tybura (red gloves) fights Tyrell Fortune (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected March 28, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
"It was conscionable aft my junior-college season, and I wasn't a large heavyweight. I averaged astir 220, 230 pounds. That's successful nan mediate of 2 weight categories. International weight classes are 211 and 265 pounds. I'm astatine 230. I'm like, ‘I tin either springiness up this 30 to 40 pounds, aliases I tin trim weight and beryllium bigger than everybody astatine 211.’ So that's what led to nan determination to trim weight."
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Fortune stepped successful to conflict Tybura connected Saturday connected 2 weeks’ announcement aft an wounded withdrawal.
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Chantz Martin is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
