Tyrell Fortune Record: 18-3-0

Bellator standout

Fortune's defining Bellator stretch came against name opponents. His September 2020 meeting with Jack May ended in a no contest after an accidental knee to the groin, but he erased any doubt in the April 2021 rematch with a first-round TKO. Three months later, in July 2021, he scored the signature win of his Bellator run, stopping former UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione by first-round TKO. Those performances established him as a legitimate finisher rather than just a wrestler riding control time.

From PFL to the UFC

Fortune later tested himself in the PFL, earning a unanimous-decision win over Marcelo Golm in June 2024 before rebuilding momentum on the regional scene with a run of knockouts. That form carried him to the UFC, where in March 2026 he announced his arrival by outpointing veteran Marcin Tybura over three rounds for a unanimous-decision win. He is next scheduled to face Rizvan Kuniev in a UFC Fight Night heavyweight bout.

Fighting style

Fortune is a wrestling-based heavyweight who has grown into a genuine knockout threat. Eleven of his 18 wins have come by knockout, with another by submission, giving him a 67% finish rate that belies his grappling pedigree – he uses his elite takedown ability to put opponents on the mat and then unloads with ground strikes. The flip side is the inherent volatility of the heavyweight class: his three career losses include a one-punch knockout and a heel-hook submission, a reminder that even a fighter with his control can be caught against the division's biggest hitters and craftiest grapplers. When he is the one dictating where the fight takes place, though, few heavyweights are equipped to stop him.

Career highlights

• Decorated wrestling pedigree — NCAA Division II champion and two-time NJCAA national champion who chased a U.S. Olympic berth before turning pro.
• Bellator finisher — stopped former UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione by first-round TKO in 2021, the standout win of his Bellator run.
• UFC arrival — debuted with a unanimous-decision win over veteran Marcin Tybura in 2026, pushing his record to 18-3.