A clash of styles was set to unfold at UFC 325 when Jacob Malkoun and Torrez Finney met in the octagon, with both middleweights looking to assert themselves in a crowded division.
Malkoun (8-3) entered the matchup coming off a TKO victory over Andre Petroski in March 2024. An injury sidelined him from his only scheduled bout afterward, making UFC 325 his return to action against Finney nearly two years after his last fight.
Finney (11-0) had to win three bouts on Dana White’s Contender Series before earning a UFC contract from CEO Dana White. He followed that up by winning his UFC debut against Robert Valentin via split decision last April, and now looked to make it two straight victories when he faced Malkoun.
Round 1 – The two met in the center with Finney immediately applying pressure, while Malkoun went to work behind his crisp, world-class jab. Finney stayed patient, as he often does, waiting for the right opening to pursue a takedown.
Malkoun briefly shot for a single leg of his own, but Finney defended it with ease. From there, Malkoun’s jab began to land consistently, snapping Finney’s head back early. Finney attempted to return fire, but it was Malkoun who held the clear advantage on the feet, landing with superior accuracy and speed.
As the round progressed, Malkoun started putting combinations together, forcing Finney into loading up on wide overhand rights and hooks. A clean shot from Malkoun rocked Finney and sent him retreating onto the back foot.
Smelling blood, Malkoun poured it on to prevent Finney from recovering. Finney shot for a takedown in desperation, but it was stuffed without much resistance, allowing Malkoun to return to landing sharp combinations.
Finney appeared to shell up, standing with his hands high and absorbing shot after shot. A heavy strike from Malkoun finally dropped him, and Malkoun jumped on a guillotine choke. Finney managed to survive the submission attempt and made it to the second round.
Round 2 – Malkoun returned to his game plan in the second round, pumping the jab and stringing together sharp combinations. Finney attempted to fire back, but soon began to limp noticeably, a development Malkoun showed no sympathy for as he continued to land clean strikes.
Finney did manage to connect with a solid shot that briefly appeared to rock Malkoun, but it wasn’t enough to drop him. Malkoun recovered quickly and went right back to work behind his jab, maintaining control of the exchanges.
Finney remained mostly defensive, searching for openings and occasionally throwing looping overhand rights, but the takedown he needed never materialized.
A heavy right hand from Malkoun dropped Finney, and he followed him to the canvas, raining down strikes. Finney turned belly-down under the pressure, absorbing additional shots as Malkoun stayed on top.
Looking to secure the finish, Malkoun attempted a rear-naked choke, sliding it across the chin in an effort to force a tap, but the round ended before he could complete it.
Round 3 – Finney charged forward throwing heavy punches in search of a fight-changing shot, but Malkoun stayed composed, defended well, and continued to pick him apart with clean strikes. Malkoun briefly shot for a takedown before abandoning it and resetting.
After disengaging, Malkoun landed a sharp combination and returned to the center of the Octagon. He then clinched with Finney, pressing him against the fence while searching for a single-leg opening.
When they separated, Malkoun went right back to snapping Finney’s head with his jab, repeatedly finding the mark. Finney managed to land a pair of heavy hooks, but Malkoun answered by shooting in again, this time completing the single-leg takedown.
Finney scrambled back to his feet, but Malkoun immediately brought him back down, sealing the fight and leaving little doubt as to the outcome.
Official Result: Jacob Malkoun def. Torrez Finney via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26×2)
