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Heavyweight Tyrell Fortune rose through the professional MMA ranks about a decade ago. It took him until Saturday to secure his first UFC victory, although it wasn’t without drama.
Fourteen years after being declared dead during a weight cut, Fortune now also has a UFC victory upon his return.
Fortune initially defeated Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night, receiving judges’ scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. However, cage announcer Bruce Buffer caused confusion by reading the scores incorrectly, announcing totals that favored Fortune’s opponent.
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Tyrell Fortune reacts after a victory against Marcin Tybura of Poland in a heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The mistake went unnoticed until Fortune left the octagon and headed towards the tunnel. The officials brought him back, where he was officially declared the winner.
“I was very upset with myself,” Fortune said while evaluating his performance. “I felt like I didn’t do enough. I was just upset. With two weeks’ notice, I feel like I did a good job, but I also need to perform better next time.”
The former NCAA Division II wrestling champion’s path to Saturday’s victory includes a weight-cutting incident in 2012 that left him declared dead before he fully recovered.
Tyrell Fortune prepares to face Marcin Tybura of Poland in a heavyweight bout 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 that, years later, it still doesn’t feel real. “I tried to forget about it for so long… because it seemed so far-fetched. Like, ‘Man. I died. It was all over for a second and I came back to life,'” Fortune told ESPN.
“And it really changed my perspective on life in general and how I look at living life day to day. 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 it was all self-inflicted.”
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/Image 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 two weight classes. The international weight classes are 211 and 265 pounds. I’m at 230. I thought, ‘I can give up these 30 to 40 pounds, or I can cut weight and be bigger than everyone at 211.’ That’s what led me to make the decision to cut weight.”
Fortune stepped in to fight Tybura on Saturday on two weeks’ notice after an injury withdrawal.
