Takeya Mizugaki will challenge WEC Bantamweight Champion, Miguel Torres, on April 5, in the champ’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Torres has amassed an incredible 35-1 record and is considered among the best pound for pound fighters in the world. PRO MMA (promma.info) received the following press release today from the WEC concerning Torres and the upcoming WEC event in Chicago.
As he prepares to defend the WEC® bantamweight title against Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki on April 5 in his hometown of Chicago, IL, Miguel Angel Torres (35-1) has had the opportunity to train with some of the world’s finest mixed martial artists. From interim UFC® heavyweight champion Frank Mir to UFC middleweight contender Jason Day, the 5’9”, 135-pound Torres has sparred, rolled, and grappled with a who’s who of professional fighters.
If the walls of Torres’ Chicago gym could talk, you’d quickly learn that the fighters who have trained with Torres have gotten as much out of the experience as the champion did. Likewise, those who have followed the 28-year-old’s meteoric rise to the top of the sport have voiced a sense of amazement at Torres’ skill set.
Over the past few weeks, dozens of the sport’s top fighters and personalities have offered opinions on the talented Mexican-American champion. Here is a snippet of what was said:
Former WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber on Miguel Torres:
“His jiu-jitsu and his boxing are both top level in the sport. He has a natural love for the fight game and loves doing battle, and that always makes for a very dangerous fighter. Miguel is one of the top 10 fighters in the world for sure. Having that confidence is not something you can teach. He has outstanding belief in himself and his ability and confidence that he is going to win. I think what makes him so dangerous is his confidence. Not too many people have that. It comes from putting in your time and working hard, having a lot of experience and winning.”
Manny Tapia, a former bantamweight title challenger, had this to say about the man who knocked him out in December:
“He’s so good because he doesn’t back down. He’s very talented; he’s very good on his feet. He’s got a super-long reach and he’s very good on the ground. Miguel is an all-around fighter. It doesn’t matter where the fight goes. Miguel is an all-around fighter who is ready for any situation.
“He’s super tough. I can’t take nothing away from him. He’s the man. I don’t see any weaknesses. He’s definitely up there in the top three. He might be number one.”
Former UFC® Lightweight champion and WEC® featherweight contender Jens Pulver:
“Pound for pound, he’s just as good as anybody out there at any weight class. He’s well-rounded, has devastating standup, a superior ground game, he’s got conditioning and he’ll hit you with crazy submissions. He’s great in every spot so he has to be one of the best guys.
“He’s about the lengthiest fighter I’ve ever seen at 135. You don’t know where to take him. If you can’t take him standing up, you damn sure don’t want to go to the ground with him because he’s phenomenal down there, too. His thing seems to be, ‘Look, I’ll stand here and beat you up standing all day long. And then you will shoot on me, and when you do you will find out what I can do down there.’”
Jason Day, UFC Middleweight and Torres’ training partner:
“The guy is an animal; he’ll spar with the smallest guy or the biggest guy. He’s like a shark.
“That’s the main reason I went to train with him. I wasn’t hoping to learn about jiu jitsu or anything, I wanted to get some of his mindset. He truly believes that he’s the best fighter in the world, but he doesn’t believe it in a cocky manner. He just thinks nobody can beat him. He’s so mentally tough. He has no quit in him.”
“Pound for pound I think he’s number one. If you put him in my body he would be the 185 pound champion without a doubt.”
WEC General Manager Reed Harris:
“Miguel Torres is a fighter’s worst nightmare. If you’re a stand up fighter, he’ll beat you on your feet. If you’re a submission guy, he’ll beat you on the ground.
“Miguel Torres is probably the most dangerous fighter I’ve ever seen. Right now, at his current level, I don’t know who can beat him.”
Tickets for World Extreme Cagefighting® are on sale now and priced at $45.00, $75.00, $125.00 and $175.00. Tickets are available for purchase through the UIC Pavilion, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212.
World Extreme Cagefighting® will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT. All live WEC events are presented in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.
In the co-main event, Island Lake, Illinois’ Jeff Curran looks to make his case for a shot at the belt when he battles undefeated phenom Joseph Benavidez.
A longtime favorite of the Midwest fight scene, former WEC featherweight contender and title challenger Jeff “Big Frog” Curran (31-10-1) has long had his sights set on Miguel Torres, and he has even dropped down to the bantamweight division to chase his local rival. There is business to take care of for both men first though, and for Curran, that means his clash with Joseph Benavidez on April 5th. So expect the 30-year old Curran to come out with guns blazing in order to move forward in the crowded bantamweight division.
The 24-year old Joseph Benavidez (9-0) came to the WEC last December with a lot of hype due to his raw talent and impressive previous performances, and he lived up to the expectations with a big win over Danny Martinez. Now the stablemate of former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber is ready for the next step in his career, and for him, there would be nothing better than to add the name Jeff Curran to his victims list.
All bouts subject to change. For more information about current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv.
Miguel is a real deal fighter for sure.
I love Miguel Angel Torres! He is the best pound for pound fighter in the mma and he is a very creative fighter with outstanding stamina. Obviously i’m a girl but he inspired me so much that now i go workout at the gym on a daily basis, and now i box. Hopefully soon i’ll be starting my martial arts training. What can i say….I LOVE THE GAME!!!