Tecia Torres enters UFC 188 with a perfect professional record, and is currently ranked No. 5 in the strawweight division. Can she take it to the next level on Saturday?
If so, the UFC gave her a perfect opponent.
Angela Hill, ranked No. 15, is striker. She will stand right in front of Torres. That is exactly what Torres loves to do, but it is the perfect opponent for Torres because she may be forced to show the other facets of her game. Hill is no joke on the feet. Torres may have to show that she can utilize her grappling, and that’s a good thing.
Torres already should be in title contention. Quite frankly, Rose Namajunas being ranked ahead of her in the UFC rankings makes absolutely no sense.
Namajunas is 2-2 with two consecutive losses, and one of those is to the undefeated Torres. As much as some want to point to The Ultimate Fighter season 20 and its results it has to be pointed out that those are unofficial bouts and do not count. Period.
This will be Torres fight to show what she can do as a complete mixed martial artist. She will have an edge standing with her varied attacks, but there is little reason she should put herself in danger against Hill. If Torres looks like a complete fighter, there may be reason to believe she can give the champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, a run for her money – if she is still champion after June 20, that is.
Carla Esparza was not able to threaten Jedrzejczyk on the feet at all, and that allowed Jedrzejczyk to easily stuff predictable shots. Torres will be able to threaten on the feet. That opens the door for Torres to surprise Jedrzejczyk with level changes. Torres trains at American Top Team so there is little doubt she has some grappling ability.
If Torres can oust Hill without any issue, she will walk away as a true contender in this division.
Torres has looked good in her young MMA career. “The Tiny Tornado” is a perfect nickname for her style. She is relentless with her attacks, and even though she is only 5-0 in her career she has already faced solid competition. Every name except for her debut is a notable one: Paige VanZant, Rose Namajunas, Felice Herrig and Angela Magana.
Torres has also been given a prime spot to make her case to be a star at 115-pounds. We have seen the women be placed on the undercard time and again in spite of their rankings or talents. At UFC 188, Torres will open the pay-per-view. That shows faith from the UFC that this fight will be exciting, and that they want to build the winner after the event.
“The Tiny Tornado” is a significant favorite entering the bout. Currently, she is a minus-325 favorite. She gets a lot of respect for what she has already accomplished, and a recognition that this is a favorable fight.
The UFC set-up Torres with a matchup perfect for a star-making performance. Now, it’s all on Torres to deliver.
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