UFC 126 Preview: Why Miguel Torres Can Be More Popular Than Georges St. Pierre

On Saturday, millions of MMA fans will tune into UFC 126 to watch Anderson Silva defend the middleweight belt against Vitor Belfort.  It is sure to be an entertaining night, as light heavyweight Forest Griffin makes his long anticipated return against Rich Franklin.  On top of that, Jon “Bones” Jones faces Ryan Bader in what has potential to win Fight of the Night honors.

Yet, there is one other bout on the main card that has flown under the radar, one in the newly formed bantamweight division as a result of the UFC merger with World Extreme Cagefighting.  In it, WEC legend Miguel Torres will make his UFC debut against Antonio Banuelos.

Overall, I expect it to be a great fight.  Banuelos is primarily a wrestler, while Torres holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu along with having a strong Muay Thai background.  Plus, Torres is out to make a statement: He is the new ultimate warrior in the UFC.

In his last fight in September, Torres managed to defeat Charlie Valencia by submission.  This was after losing his previous two fights to Joseph Benavidez (submission) and Brian Bowles (KO, also lost the WEC Bantamweight Championship).

Long story short, Torres is still on the comeback trail despite winning his last fight.  Prior to his losses against Benavidez and Bowles, he had won an astonishing 17 fights in a row!  The losses proved he is in fact human, and while he may have silenced some critics by winning his most recent match, he still has a long way to go.

Let’s be honest.  Torres wants nothing more than to win his first battle in the UFC with authority.  If he stays on the ground and submits Banuelos, he will make his mark as a force to be reckoned with in the UFC.

In fact, I’m going to go out right now and say something that I’m sure will draw the ire of MMA fans around the world.  Miguel Torres has the potential to become more popular (and better) fighter than the current UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre.

As outrageous as that claim seems, it may in fact have some merit.  Believe it or not, Torres and GSP are both very similar fighters.  Like Torres, GSP also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has some Muay Thai expertise.

Also, both fighters are just as dangerous standing up as they are on the ground.  This is evident in their career records.  Both fighters have won a majority of their matches thanks to their ground game.  Torres is a submissions expert, while GSP has won most of his fights by decision thanks to his wrestling expertise.

Most importantly, Torres and GSP both have the charisma that provides them huge fan bases.  They may be punishing fighters in the Octagon, but in interviews come off as extremely personable.  Still, in the extremely close comparison of these two individuals, the edge must be given to Torres.

Don’t get me wrong.  Georges St. Pierre is a phenomenal fighter and given his track record, rightfully deserves to be named the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.  Yet there is one thing that works against him and that is what doesn’t make him the UFC’s potential top warrior.

Like fellow UFC veterans Rashad Evans and Nate Marquardt, GSP is a student of legendary mixed martial arts trainer Greg Jackson.  That being said, he almost certainly follows a training method designed just for him.  Ironically, this is what works against him in comparison to Miguel Torres.

Believe it or not, Torres didn’t start working with a trainer until shortly after Brian Bowles knocked him out.  Yes, that’s right.  During his epic 17-fight win streak, Miguel Torres was essentially training himself!

Up until a year ago, Torres’s method of training himself was effective yet extremely unconventional.  He ran his own training camps and in the days preceding fights, he claimed to eat and sleep in his gym.  This method may have contributed to his undoing as it may have helped at first, but in the end made his style very predictable.

Yet, Torres has a great trainer now in Mark DellaGrotte.  He has a new style to showcase, one that opponents have never seen before.  If he was dangerous to face when he trained himself, think of how great he can be now that he has a professional trainer in his corner!

All in all, Torres’s decision to work with a trainer will be the right one.  This is the UFC, and he will now be facing the top fighters from all over the world.

If he defeats Antonio Banuelos, the sky will be the limit for him.  By sticking to his training, he has the potential to regain the Bantamweight Championship and clean out the division.  That is where the real fun can begin.

At 5'9", Torres has a slight enough figure that he could potentially put on 20 more pounds of muscle and move up to lightweight.  There he could take his talents to the next level by facing even tougher opponents in BJ Penn (if he moves back down from welterweight) and Gray Maynard.  One must admit, those fights would be a lot of fun to watch!

So, Mr. Torres, welcome to the UFC.  Your talents are ones unlike any this writer has seen before and may your tenure in the Octagon be a long and successful one. 

Now, your first UFC fight is this Saturday.  You’ve prepared for it, know what has to be done, and there is just one thing left on the to-do list.

Do it.