There are a lot of ways to describe the way Tecia Torres fights but the most prominent word that comes to mind is aggressive.
Coming in just north of the 5′ mark, the South Florida representative has one of the most fitting nicknames in mixed martial arts as her fighting style certainly lives up to her “Tiny Tornado” moniker. The 25-year-old brings constant pressure from the opening bell until the last, and her brand of tenacity has served to overwhelm every opponent she’s faced inside the cage.
While her professional career began in October of 2012, Torres spent the previous year racking up victories on the amateur circuit. In just one year of work, the karate and taekwondo black belt notched seven consecutive wins and built solid momentum toward her professional debut. Her winning streak served to create some buzz and expectation, and she legitimized the hype by winning all four of her showings that would come under the Invicta FC banner.
In addition to putting on four consecutive outstanding performances, she also defeated a collection of top-ranked competition in the process. It didn’t take long before Torres became the most highly touted fighter in the women’s strawweight ranks—and when she was selected to participate in The Ultimate Fighter 20—her long sought-after dream suddenly came into focus.
A UFC championship is something she never thought she would ever have the chance to compete for, but with the historic installment of the reality-based fighting program producing the inaugural UFC strawweight champion, Torres could finally begin to envision making the impossible a reality. She doesn’t like to waste time getting to where she is heading, and TUF 20 provided the perfect avenue for her to make her dreams come true.
“When I found out that I was picked to be on The Ultimate Fighter my first thought is that my dream had come true,” Torres told Bleacher Report. “I started this martial arts journey 20 years ago with karate and I never imagined it would come to pass that I would be in the UFC. It was a dream come true. Being a part of the history of women’s MMA is amazing to me and I definitely jumped on the opportunity.
“I’m so young in my career and I’m just getting started. I went into the show 4-0 and there are a lot of things to come for ‘The Tiny Tornado’ inside the UFC. I can’t wait to have my first real UFC fight when there are actually fans around and my teammates and coaches are there. It is going to be amazing for everybody and I am really looking forward to it.”
When the organization made the announcement regarding the TUF 20 and the addition of the women’s strawweight division under the promotional banner, Torres knew the biggest chapter of her career was about to begin. That said, she was also aware of the pros and cons that would come from living with 15 of the world’s best female fighters at 115 pounds and did her best to prepare for everything that would come her way.
Having last competed in December, she was already in good physical shape coming into the show, but Torres knew there would be no way to control the drama that was sure to unfold once the cameras started rolling. Yet, even though her instincts would prove to be true on the drama front, Torres also reveled in the opportunity to train with top-ranked talent on a daily basis. And now that she can look back on the experience, Torres believes the positives far outweighed the negatives from competing on the show.
“It was exciting for me to be able to come to Las Vegas and train with the girls that were essentially my weight class and would be my competition in the UFC,” Torres said. “Going in there, I knew these were the girls I would be fighting in the future and some of them I had fought already. It was cool getting to train with the most talented girls around the world.
“As for being in a house with 15 other women for six weeks…that part wasn’t as cool. I knew that would lead to drama and issues and that definitely happen, but I did come out of the experience having made some great friends. It is going to be an exciting season and there is a lot to offer in each episode.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The Ultimate Fighter 20 premieres on Fox Sports 1 on Sept. 10 at 10 p.m. EST
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com