Tyrell Fortune wins first UFC fight after Bruce Buffer misread the scores
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Heavyweight Tyrell Fortune rose through the professional MMA ranks nearly a decade ago. It took until Saturday for him to get his first UFC victory, but it wasn’t without drama.
Fortune, who was declared dead during a weight cut, now adds a UFC win to his comeback fourteen years later.
Fortune initially defeated Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night, earning the judges’ scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. However, cage announcer Bruce Buffer caused confusion by misreading the scores and announced totals that favored Fortune’s opponent.
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Tyrell Fortune reacts after his heavyweight fight victory over Poland’s Marcin Tybura during the UFC Fight Night event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The mistake was not noticed until Fortune exited the octagon and headed towards the tunnel. Officials brought him back to the place where he was officially declared the winner.
“I felt very sorry for myself,” Fortune said of his performance. “I felt like I didn’t do enough. I was just upset. I felt like I did a good job with the two weeks’ notice, but at the same time I need to come back with a better performance next time.”
The former NCAA Division II wrestling champion’s path to Saturday’s victory includes a weight-cutting incident he suffered in 2012, from which he reportedly died before a full recovery.
Tyrell Fortune is set to face Poland’s Marcin Tybura in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
He recalled the experience and said years later it still didn’t feel real. “I tried to forget it for a long time… because it seemed so forced.” For example, he said, “Dude. I died. For a moment, it was all over and I came back to life.” he told ESPN.
“And it’s really changed the way I look at life in general and the way I look at living life on a day-to-day basis. When you’re in a situation like that, you really start to look at your values as a person and see what’s important to you because these are all things you’ve done for yourself.”
Marcin Tybura (red gloves) fights Tyrell Fortune (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
“It was right after my college season and I wasn’t a big heavyweight. I averaged around 220, 230 pounds. That’s in the middle of the two weight categories. International weight classes are 211 and 265 pounds. I’m 230. I’m thinking, ‘I can either give up those 30 to 40 pounds or I can cut weight and be bigger than everyone else at 211.’ That’s what led to the decision to cut weight.”
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Fortune stepped in to fight Tybura on Saturday on two weeks notice following his injury withdrawal.
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