(Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
If there is anything that makes me hesitant about including Torres along with the big names in MMA, it is his propensity for getting himself into real wars. The Mizugaki and Maeda fights showed that if a fighter can control the pace and rythm of the fight, they have a shot at winning.
His tendency to use overly-risky techniques like the somersault kick he attempted against Tapia also make me question his ability to restrain his creativity, in the same way that Uriah Faber needed to restrain his creativity against Mike Brown.
Ultimately, I think there are not too many fighters that can beat Torres at 135.
A boxer/wrestler like Mizugaki, with just a little cleaner striking might just be able to beat Torres, as Torres was unable to find his rythm early and couldn't get the fight to the ground.
On the ground, the story is a little tougher. The thing about the 135lb division is that it is very conducive to Miguel's style. Torres uses what I like to refer to as "small-man jiu-jitsu," in that it emphasizes a lot of highly technical guard work and quickness.
The bantamweight division is full of this type of jiu-jitsu, but it simly isn't effective against Torres. If a fighter takes Torres down, they are only entering his world of bottom-guard.
The kind of ground fighter that can beat Torres on the ground is someone with more powerful jiu-jitsu. A good example of a powerful jiu-jitsu practitioner is GSP. He uses a devastating guard passing and top-position control. However, these fighters are not exactly common either.
Verdict
I'll give my verdict in two parts, and start with the cautious part first.
1. Miguel Torres has benefited from a long string of wins over mediocre opponents, and a generally weaker bantamweight division. A lot of the MMA talent moved up to fight in the more lucrative featherweight and lightweight divisions. As illustrated above, there are some types of fighters that may yet pose serious challenges to the Reign of Torres.
2. Largely due to his recent exciting performances, the bantamweight division has become more lucrative and more popular. Many fighters are moving back down to their more natural weight classes, while the money is also there to bring other top-ranked bantamweight fighters to the WEC.
Over the next few years, Miguel will face the most serious challenges to his WEC crown, and will have a chance to build the legacy and fame that the bantamweight division has been waiting for. If Miguel Torres can learn to better control the pace of the fights, while utilizing his talent and creativity in a restrained manner, he certainly possesses the talent to meet his many upcoming challenges.
Until I'm done giving my thoughts on the other P4P contenders, I'll keep my official rankings to myself. Until then, there's a lot to debate.
In my next segment, I'll be taking a look at Anderson Silva.
7 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete