The Triangle Choke: Miguel Torres Interview

Miguel Torres is one of the best mixed-martial artists in the world. Torres style is aggressive and fearless. Torres last bout against Yoshiro Maeda is one of the most popular fights of 2008. In that contest, Torres showcased his heart and intestinal fortitude. Torres holds a career record of 34-1 and is the reigning WEC Bantamweight Champion.

The following is an interview I conducted with Miguel Torres:

TTC- Where did you grow up

MT- I grew up in East Chicago, Indiana. I still live in the area and have a gym there

TTC- How did you get started in MMA?

MT- When I was young, I loved boxing. I loved watching Julio Cesar Chavez (an all time great who posted a record of 108-6-2) I didn’t have a gym to train in so really didn’t get into boxing. I then saw Royce Gracie compete and fell in love with the sport. I ran into a couple of guys and started training in MMA

TTC- How would you describe your success?

MT- It’s all about hard work, sacrifice and dedication. People laughed at me when I started, due to my size. That motivated me. In the end it’s not about recognition, it’s about work ethic and putting in the time

Photo courtesy of Torres Martial Arts

TTC- You have a match up against Manny Tapia in early December. What type of challenges does he create

MT- He has basically the same style as me. It’s going to be like two bulls or two rams locking horns. We are going to meet in the middle and throw some leather. He has a big chin so it’s going to be a challenge. I’m better on the ground but really want to beat him at his own game, standing up.

TTC- What is your prediction

MT- It will be a knock out or submission in the first round. I don’t see him making it out of the 1st round. I will work my game

TTC- There are rumors that you may take on Urijah Faber. Any truth to that

MT- It’s possible; we might meet at a catch weight in 2009 or 2010. We could potentially meet at 140 lbs. We are both smart businessmen, it would take a good pay day for us to meet, probably pay-per-view. There is no talk right now but could take place

TTC- You mentioned your gym earlier, How is that going for you and how much time do you spend with the gym

MT- It is going well and keeps me very busy. We have 185 members. We are open Monday thru Saturday. I have my own training, take a break and then come back to train others. It’s pretty much all day, from 9:00 AM to to 9:00 PM

TTC- Thanks for your time Miguel and good luck with the upcoming fight

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer & Director of MMA Content