It has been a topsy-turvy past few years for former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, but his victory over Nick Pace last night at UFC 139 may have finally put his career back on track.
It was only just over two years ago when Torres was once considered not only the unquestioned best 135-pound fighter in the world, but was also a consensus top five pound-for-pound fighter.
Torres rode an unbelievable, Fedor Emelianenko-like 17-fight winning streak into his Aug. 2009 battle against Brian Bowles at WEC 42. But it was on that night that the his historic run came to an end.
One punch from Bowles sent Torres tumbling back into reality as he was knocked out by the challenger in one of the most shocking losses of the year.
Torres would go on to lose his next fight to Joseph Benavidez, submitting to a guillotine choke at WEC 47. The tumble down the rankings had officially begun.
Though he got back in the win column in back-to-back fights against Charlie Valencia and Antonio Banuelos in his UFC debut, the level of competition was just not as good as what he had been competing against in his losses. But even worse, he did not look like the dominant former champion that we remembered from years past.
But last night at UFC 139, the real Miguel Torres was back. He showed some of the precision on the feet and incredible jiu-jitsu that helped make him one of the best in the world. Not only that, but he did it against an opponent who essentially opted not to cut weight and weighed in six pounds over the 135-pound limit.
He still has a fight or two to go before he can realistically be considered for a shot at the UFC bantamweight title, but a top-five ranking is well within reason.
The crazy thing about Miguel Torres is that despite competing in his 43rd professional MMA fight last night, the best may still be best to come. Just 30-years-old, he is still learning and improving his game every day.
If he is able to regain the confidence he once had, Dominick Cruz may have something to worry about at 135.
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