Fighters Only

Issue 046

February 2009

STATISTICS

Name: Miguel Angel Torres

Age: 27

Height: 5’ 10”

Category: Bantamweight

Fighting Style: Muay Thai, BJJ

Fights out of: Chicago, USA

Active since: 2000

WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport today. One of the main figures responsible for fans taking notice of the talent available in the weight classes below 155lb (the lowest weight class the UFC features), Torres combines a dynamic striking style with a slick ground game and relentlessly pressures his opponents from start to finish.

At 27 years old Torres has 36 fights under his belt, the last two as the 135lb champion. Fighting professionally since the age of 19, he has entertained crowds with a flowing, unorthodox style that keeps both the audience and his opponents guessing. He can switch ranges with ease, and launches attacks from all angles whether striking or grappling.

Torres holds a black belt in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlson Gracie Jr, and his formidable grappling is one of his strongest areas. He fluidly switches from submission to submission, often chaining together set-ups and attacks that keep his opponents on the back foot.

Widely agreed to be the number one fighter at 135lb in the world, Torres easily despatched the most recent challenger to his throne, the tough Manny Tapia, with characteristic ruthlessness. Going forward into 2009, Torres will look to assert his position as the top batamweight fighter in the world with more victories inside the WEC Octagon.

Mindset

Blessed with the rare combination of extreme aggression and calculated ruthlessness, Torres is a clinical fighter yet attacks with abandon and will punish his opponent given the slightest opportunity. Owner of his own MMA academy, Torres is a highly regarded coach as well as fighter and passes his knowledge on to youngsters in the East Chicago area.

Jab

Standing 5’10”, Torres enjoys a big reach advantage over the majority of his opponents. With his long arms he is able to pick off his opponents from the outside, utilising his very effective stiff jab. His jab has so much power behind it that it was responsible for fracturing Yoshiro Maeda’s cheekbone.

Legs

Once again, Torres’s height means that he is able to use his limbs to good effect. His knees from the clinch are reminiscent of Anderson Silva in full flow, while his attacks from guard are all the more dangerous given the difficulty with which his opponents have in controlling his long legs. Though he trains in Muay Thai, Torres likes to vary the kicks he throws when standing, and uses a variety of strikes including front kicks and flying knees.