New UFC middleweight Torrez Finney, a lifelong fan of professional wrestling and The Rock, has become known for his post-fight interviews where he adapts The Rock’s famous tagline, “If you smell what The Rock is cooking,” to “If you can smell what Torrez is cooking,” reflecting his childhood passion and charisma.
Torrez Finney, the newest face in UFC’s middleweight division, is a huge fan of The Rock.
Earning his contract was no small feat—Finney became the first fighter to notch three wins on Dana White’s Contender Series. His journey culminated with a first-round TKO over Abdellah Er-Ramy during DWCS Season 8, Week 8.
Throughout his MMA career, Finney has a unique way of signing off post-fight interviews. He tweaks The Rock’s iconic WWE tagline, “If you smell what The Rock is cooking,” into his own version: “If you can smell what Torrez is cooking.”
Growing up, wrestling was more than just a sport for him; it was destiny. He spent countless hours playing pro wrestler on the backyard trampoline.
“I’m a big professional wrestling fan,” Finney confessed to MMA Fighting. “I love WWE and even AEW. I watched them religiously as a kid.”
Memories of bouncing on trampolines with cousins flood back. For many kids, the trampoline was their WWE ring. They didn’t heed warnings to not try this at home—they embraced it fully.
“We did all those moves at home,” he reminisced. Jumping, performing WWE moves—it shaped his promo skills today.
They had toy mics and would playfully challenge each other: “I’m coming on your birthday to take that belt!” It was all part of the fun.
Finney was just a baby when The Rock, real name Dwayne Johnson, began his legendary run in WWE. But he caught Johnson’s later returns and soaked in the charisma and confidence he exuded.
When fighting for his first MMA amateur title, Finney knew exactly what to say.
“Big fan of The Rock now,” Finney shared, though his favorite wrestler remains The Undertaker. Yet, he loved watching The Rock’s promos.
In high school, he dabbled in similar promo styles. For his second amateur fight, after winning the title, a friend asked what he’d say post-fight.
“I’ve been wanting to do this my entire life,” he declared after that fight. Then came his signature: “If you can smell what the champ is cooking.”
Since then, "The Punisher" has racked up 10 straight pro wins, including two victories on Contender Series. However, after finishing Yuri Panerov in October 2023, Dana White withheld a contract, advising Finney to gain more experience.
Finney returned in August and won against Cam Rowston, but White harshly critiqued him, predicting he’d be "absolutely decimated" in the UFC.
Despite setbacks, Finney stayed true to himself. With each win came anticipation for his post-fight catchphrase.
Fans eagerly await his octagon debut—perhaps the biggest moment of his career—to hear those famous words again.
“It’s really cool,” Finney mused about how childhood antics now resonate with adults. Funny how things come full circle!