by: Doug Drexler
Once upon a time, an 18 year old kid, weighing 120 pounds and fresh out of high school, asked his dad if he could fight in an “event” being held in a local bar. His dad thought he had gone crazy and refused to grant permission. The kid proceeded to show his dad a tape from the UFC showing Royce Gracie handling and defeating much larger opponents. Against his better judgment, his dad finally caved, opening the door for an unlikely career that has yet to reach its greatest potential.
That kid’s name was Miguel Torres. His official MMA record is 34 – 1, though Torres claims at least another 12 victories unaccounted for in today’s popular databases.
Torres began fighting right out of high school, while working as a manager at a local grocery store. He took on any and all opponents he could find. Back in those days, events were not sanctioned by state athletic commissions as they are in today’s sport of MMA. Fighters were lined up and asked how much they weighed and what their experience level was. The promoter would then match up the fights.
As the young Torres racked up the wins, larger promotions took notice and began to call. But Torres chose to fight closer to home. The “bigger boys” weren’t paying anywhere close to what local promotions were willing to give him. However, when Zuffa purchased the WEC it was finally time to make his entrance onto the national stage.
Torres set everyone on alert with a quick and impressive first round submission of undefeated Jeff Bedard. In his next fight, he defeated Chase Beebe via first round submission for the WEC bantamweight title. Then, in his first title defense, he stopped Yoshiro Maeda via TKO (doctor stoppage) after three grueling rounds.
Even with his recent success on the global stage, Torres still sees room for growth to reach his optimal performance. Throughout his career he has been effective at countering his opponent’s moves and aggression. The area he wants to improve on is wrestling so that he can dictate the pace of the fight and control where the combat takes place, keeping his opponents on the defensive and uncomfortable.
On Wednesday, December 3, Miguel Torres will defend his WEC bantamweight title for a second time against undefeated Manny Tapia. The fight will be broadcast live on Versus in front of a national television audience.
A career that began with brawls in barrooms has produced a fighter ranked in nearly every Pound-for-Pound Top 10 list, and is garnering the respect and admiration of anyone fortunate enough to watch the continuing evolution of a young talent. Now, at the age of 27, Miguel Torres owns his own gym, Torres Martial Arts Academy, in Hammond, IN. He just moved into an all new 7,000 square foot facility in August.
It would be easy for any young athlete to become caught up in his own success. So how does he keep himself focused and humble? He remembers fighting before the days of weigh-ins and weight classes, state athletic commissions, trained referees, and a respectable income. He prepares for his future by remembering the past.