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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Miguel Torres Tosses First Pitch of White Sox Perfect Game
 PRESS RELEASE:
WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres threw out the first pitch at Thursday's Chicago White Sox game. Torres, honored by the team for his MMA accomplishments, set the tone for White Sox star Mark Buehrle to throw a perfect game against Tampa Bay.
"I left a cup of lion's blood and some cobra venom for him (Buehrle) at the mound to throw a no-hitter," Torres said with a laugh. "That's how I roll. It was an awesome experience."
Congrats to Torres and Buehrle on this amazing accomplishment.
(Photo Credit: Matt Erickson, The Times of Northwest Indiana)Labels: Mark Buehrle, Miguel Torres, WEC, White Sox
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:26 PM
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
WEC 42: The Numbers Don't Lie
 PRESS RELEASE:
The saying goes that "the numbers don't lie." If that's the case, the World Extreme Cagefighting card on Aug. 9 at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV should be one of the most entertaining of the year. Headlined by a title bout and filled with vicious strikers, menacing grapplers, and exciting clashes, WEC: Torres vs. Bowles will undoubtedly prove why the WEC is home to the best light weight fighters in the world.
As the MMA community gears up for the action-packed evening of fights on Aug. 9, let's take a look at some of the key numbers behind WEC: Torres vs. Bowles. From knockout ratios to the amount of years spent training, each fighter has been assigned a number that correlates to their success inside the WEC cage.
2 - Languages spoken by featherweight Rafael Dias. Preparing for his upcoming fight with fellow Brazil Diego Nunes, the American Top Team product speaks both English and Portuguese. A jiu jitsu black belt, Dias trains with the likes of Thiago Alves and Mike Brown on a daily basis.
17 - The age at which 145-pound competitor Diego Nunes made his amateur Muay Thai debut in his native Brazil. Undefeated at 12-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, Nunes has clearly benefitted from the Muay Thai experience he developed nine years ago.
9 - Number of times bantamweight Kenji Osawa has forced his opponent to fight him to a decision. With 15 wins in his professional career, the 32-year-old, who faces Rani Yahya in August, hopes to use his plethora of cage experience to best his Brazilian opponent.
13 - Out of 14 career wins, Rani Yahya has recorded 13 submission victories. In April, Yahya made quick work of former bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland, submitting the 24-year-old in the first round.
2001 - The year in which former Marine Phil Cardella made his MMA debut. The Relson Gracie-trained Texan will fight feared knockout artist Ed Ratcliff in lightweight action at Hard Rock.
83 - Knockout percentage of lightweight Ed Ratcliff. Five of "9MM's" six wins have come by way of knockout.
3 - Number of times lightweight Shane Roller earned All-American honors as a collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State University. The Las Vegas resident battles Marcus Hicks on Aug. 9.
1 - Showing a knack for finishing fights, Dallas, TX product Marcus Hicks has only been to a decision once in his professional career.
4 - Number of times featherweight Cole Province earned a Division II collegiate wrestling championship while attending University of Central Oklahoma. The 28-year-old battles Brazilian Fredson Paixao next month.
4 - Number of Brazilian jiu jitsu world championships won by Fredson Paixao. If you think that's impressive, take a look at the 9 national championships Paixao won in his native Brazil.
1984 - The year in which "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was conceived in comic book form. The martial arts-loving turtles later became a favorite television show of featherweight Jameel Massouh, who battles Leonard Garcia in August.
16 - Age at which Leonard Garcia began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Garcia, who trains with Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, and Donald Cerrone in Albuquerque, NM, hopes a win on Aug. 9 puts him back in the 145-pound title picture.
43 - Number of professional fights on the resume of bantamweight Jeff Curran. Curran battles Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki on the undercard of WEC: Torres vs. Bowles.
25 - Number of minutes Takeya Mizugaki fought bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres in their epic April clash. The 25-year-old hopes to earn another crack at Torres by besting Curran in Las Vegas.
95811 - The area code of Ultimate Fitness, the Sacramento, CA gym that lightweight contender Danny Castillo calls home. The once-beaten San Francisco native, who trains with fellow WEC stars Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, takes on Ricardo Lamas in a fight that will push the winner one step closer to a shot at the 155-pound title.
157 - The weight class lightweight Ricardo Lamas competed in at Division III Elmhurst College. Lamas, a well-rounded, slick punching mixed martial artist, achieved All-American status as a collegiate wrestler.
3 - Consecutive WEC wins for bantamweight Dominick Cruz. The San Diego, CA resident, who takes on Joseph Benavidez at The Joint, has scored consecutive wins over Charlie Valencia, Ian McCall, and Ivan Lopez.
1,151 - Approximate number of miles between Las Cruces, NM and Sacramento, CA. That is the distance bantamweight star Joseph Benavidez of Las Cruces traveled in order to train with Urijah Faber in Sacramento.
0 - The number of times 135-pound title challenger Brian Bowles has been defeated. He'll look to stay unbeaten when he fights champion Miguel Angel Torres in the main event on Aug. 9.
22 - Submission victories recorded by bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres. With 37 professional wins, submissions account for 59 percent of Torres' victories.
Tickets for Torres vs. Bowles are on sale now and priced at $40, $55, $85, $100, $125, $175, and $225. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the Hard Rock Box Office. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.
Torres vs. Bowles will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.Labels: Brian Bowles, Miguel Torres, WEC 42
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 3:11 PM
Friday, July 3, 2009
Why Brian Bowles is the No. 1 WEC Bantamweight Contender
Brian Bowles highlight video showcasing why he is the number one contender to WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres.
Would anyone disagree?Labels: Brian Bowles, Miguel Torres, WEC
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:00 PM
Monday, June 29, 2009
Miguel Torres Highlight Video
As he prepares for his latest title defense, WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres -- the No. 1 ranked fighter in the class in the world -- is featured in this highlight video from the WEC. He squares off with No. 2 ranked Brian Bowles in an epic clash at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on August 9.
Is Brian Bowles the one that can finally knock Miguel Torres off his pedestal, or will he be the latest name added to the Torres hit list?Labels: Brian Bowles, Miguel Torres, WEC, WEC 42
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:36 PM
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Miguel Torres Says He's Got 3 or 4 More Years Left
Miguel Torres talks about his position in the WEC and his future in the sport, courtesy of ESPN 1100 and Cagewriter.com's Steve Cofield.Labels: Miguel Torres, WEC
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:47 PM
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Miguel Torres, Brian Bowles & Kenny Florian Answer Fan Questions
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:41 PM
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
WEC Torres vs Mizugaki Re-Airs Wednesday Night on Versus
 PRESS RELEASE:
When Miguel Angel Torres defended the WEC bantamweight title against Japanese striker Takeya Mizugaki at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL last Sunday, fans were treated to an early candidate for Fight of the Year. For five grueling rounds, Torres and Mizugaki traded leather and proved why the WEC's 135-pound division is one of the most exciting in all of mixed martial arts. Tonight, fans have the chance to witness the Torres-Mizugaki clash, plus the entire main card again on VERSUS at 8PM ET/5PM PT and at 11PM ET/8PM PT.
WHAT: WEC: TORRES VS. MIZUGAKI SPECIAL ENCORE PRESENTATION ON VERSUS
WHEN: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
8PM ET/5PM PT and 11PM ET/8PM PT
WHERE: VERSUSLabels: Miguel Torres, Takeya Mizugaki, Versus, WEC 40
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:16 PM
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Miguel Torres Prepares for Takeya Mizugaki
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:24 AM
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Jeff Curran Responds Directly To Miguel Torres
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 8:39 PM
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
WEC Champ Miguel Torres Rises Up, In and Outside the Cage
This is a well done five-minute feature on WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, highlighting not only his accomplishments in the cage, but also his ambitions and dreams outside the cage.Labels: Chicago, Miguel Torres, Takeya Mizugaki, WEC 40
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:30 AM
Monday, March 23, 2009
WEC Miguel Torres vs Takeya Mizugaki Video Preview
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 11:34 PM
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
WEC's Bowles May Be Out of Action for 3 Months
MMAWeekly.com recently broke the news that WEC bantamweight Brian Bowles was forced from his title shot at WEC 40 with champ Miguel Torres. Rory Singer, owner of Hardcore Gym in Athens, Ga. and co-manager of Bowles, confirmed that a very recent back injury caused the withdrawal.
According to Singer, Bowles will need 3 weeks to a month to adequately recover from the injury, which he declined to elaborate on.
Singer said they would wait to see what the title picture looked like after the April 5 card in Chicago, but said he would need "2 or so months to get (Bowles) in shape for a 5-rounder."
Since his pro debut in 2006, Bowles is undefeated in 7 appearances, and finished four of his WEC opponents en route to the title shot. The 28 year-old Athens native was unavailable for comment.Labels: Brian Bowles, Miguel Torres, WEC 40
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:12 PM
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MMA Live - Episode 31
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:26 PM
Friday, December 5, 2008
Torres Says Curran Should Get a Shot... but Bowles Should Be First
 "Jeff Curran, he's a good fighter. He's been fighting longer than me. He's been in this sport for a long time. Me and him have a lot of similar qualities in our fighting style. I think a fight with him is going to be inevitable," says current WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres.
"We were supposed to fight in my hometown a couple of times, and for whatever reason, it never worked out. I think one time I tore my ACL. Then he went up in weight. And we never got to match up again. Now he's come back to 135. I'd be glad to fight him someday."
Just not right now says Torres, who feels that Brian Bowles, with his recent win over Will Ribeiro, has earned it more than Curran.
"I think Brian Bowles went out in the 135s and has proven himself more than anybody. Jeff Curran called me out, talking some smack. He's just trying to get a fight without having to work for it. I see a lot of what Brian does... he wants his time; I think it's his time to get a shot."
To be sure though, Torres is not in any way writing off a future bout with Curran. In fact, it's one he feels has to happen, and he's got the local nailed down, as well.
"It's going to have to happen in Chicago... It's going to have to happen for sure. And I think Chicago would be the prefect venue. He has a huge following. He has a huge gym. I have a huge following in my hometown. It would sell out for sure, easily."
But for now, the No. 1 bantamweight fighter in the world feels it's Bowles' turn for a crack at his title.Labels: Brian Bowles, Jeff Curran, Miguel Torres, WEC
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:30 PM
What's Up With the Miguel Torres Tumbling Routine?
 As mixed martial arts has developed into a combat style in and of itself, we typically see fewer obscure techniques in fights that are usually associated with a specific traditional martial arts discipline. There are a few exceptions though.
One such recent exception was Miguel Torres' forward roll combined with an axe kick. He used the technique, which he dubs the "suicide kick," in his latest title defense, against Manny Tapia at WEC 37 on Wednesday night.
"The suicide kick? I have a lot of tricks in my bag. My coach hates it when I do stuff like that. It's real high risk," Torres commented about the technique after the fight.
"I think it was after a left that I caught him with, he was a little bit stunned when I went for it. I think I barely missed him. Right after the kick, he kind of smiled at me and was like, 'that was a nice kick.'"
But it's not even that Torres necessarily intended to land the kick. As he explained, "I do that kick sometimes to bait the guy to come into my guard, so I can do the up-kick or a leg lock or something. He was pretty savvy about getting away."
So there you have it... the Miguel Torres suicide kick.Labels: Manny Tapia, Miguel Torres, WEC 37
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:10 PM
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Several WEC 37 Fighters Undergo Drug Testing
 As is typical for most athletic commissions, the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday night required WEC 37 main event fighters Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia to submit to the state's drug testing process.
In addition to the main event WEC bantamweight title bout, Nevada also tested several other fighters at random. At WEC 37, these fighters included Shane Roller, Cub Swanson, Bart Palaszewski, Josh Hendricks, Joseph Benavidez, Brian Bowles, and Wagnney Fabiano.
Drug test results are sent to an independent facility for processing and are not immediately available. Results should be known within a matter of days.Labels: Bart Palaszewski, Brian Bowles, Cub Swanson, Drug Testing, Joseph Benavidez, Josh Hendricks, Manny Tapia, Miguel Torres, NSAC, Shane Roller, Wagnney Fabiano, WEC 37
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:44 PM
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
UFC and WEC Slam Wednesday Night TV with MMA
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:31 PM
Monday, December 1, 2008
WEC Start Time At 8pm EST On Versus
 Just a reminder that the World Extreme Cagefighting event this Wednesday night in Las Vegas will start the live broadcast on Versus at 8pm EST/5pm PST.
This is the same time as the last show, but some cable systems did not catch up in time and the listing was incorrect.
The main event for the show will pit #1 bantamweight, Miguel Torres, defending his title against Manny Tapia.
The undercard televised fights will be a showcase of the lighter weight classes, as two top featherweights, Wagnney Fabiano and Akitoshi Tamura, square off as well as bantamweight fights as Brian Bowles faces Will Ribeiro and Joseph Benavidez against Danny Martinez.Labels: Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, Manny Tapia, Miguel Torres, Wagnney Fabiano, WEC, Will Ribeiro
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:32 PM
Thursday, November 27, 2008
How Fighters Spend Thanksgiving Day
Many of us spend Thanksgiving Day with family watching football and filling our stomachs with excessive amounts of well-prepared food, enjoying time with friends and loved ones. MMAInsiderBlog spoke with several fighters and broadcasters to find out how they'll be spending holiday. And we found out they're just like us.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Chuck Liddell will be spending Thanksgiving at his California home with his family and his fiance's family. The former champ said, "It's usually a pretty good time."
UFC lightweight No. 1 contender Kenny Florian is excited to celebrate Thanksgiving in Boston with family. "The best part of the holiday is I get to eat. I don't have to worry about fights coming up," said Florian. "My family, we do it right. There's a lot of food that's not good for you. I like to get fat through the holidays. I put my winter coat on."
World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholder Jamie Varner will spend the day of football and feast with his immediate family. "I'm going to spend time with my immediate family for Thanksgiving," said the Arizona Combat Sports trained champion. "But I have two workouts that morning and taking the rest of the day off for the family!"
No. 1 ranked bantamweight and WEC bantamweight titleholder Miguel Torres defends his belt against Manny Tapia on Dec. 3, but that isn't going to stop the 135-pound fighter from fully partaking in the assortment of holiday grub. "I'm going to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner," stated Torres. "My weight is perfect right now...I'm going to eat my tamales, my turkey some rice and potatoes man."
Legendary mixed martial artist and broadcaster Frank Shamrock's holiday plans revolve around his wife and baby daughter (Nicolette). "I'll be staying at home with my wife and new baby," Shamrock told MMAInsiderBlog. "It's the first Thanksgiving for Nicolette. No work for three days and lots of turkey and dressing."
"I was going to spend it with Bill Goldberg," he added. "But too much travel."
Dean Lister faces Yushin Okami at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas and due to his training schedule and diet, this Thanksgiving will be a little bitter sweet for the middleweight fighter. "I will be in Phoenix to meet up with my family. Going to be a little bit of torture since I will be limited to eating vegetables since my fight at UFC 92 will be only a month away. Gotta watch what I eat around the holidays. But I'm hungrier for Anderson's belt."
Asked what edibles he'll miss the most, Lister quickly responded, "ham and pies."
Broadcaster and fighter Frank Trigg will be spending the holiday at his Las Vegas home with friends, cooking for his wife, Nici, while she watches the Dallas Cowboys game and helps prepare the turkey and vegetables.
"I am cooking. I cook a lot, believe it or not," Trigg told MMAInsiderBlog. "We're all coming over here to the house to have a little home cooked turkey, potatoes and carrots, French green beans. Of course you've got to have gravy and cranberry sauce."
UFC welterweight Tamdan McCrory's Thanksgiving plans are simple. "I'm visiting family then possibly getting drunk on the town with some old homies."
The Ultimate Fighter 7 finalist CB Dollaway will spend Thanksgiving with his girlfriend. "I'm just going over to my girlfriend Gabs' house for the last feast before I have to start trying to get down to 185 . Hope everyone has a great holiday."
UFC welterweight fighter Matt Brown gets to actually enjoy this year's holiday, but plans to immediately get back to the gym on Friday. "I feel like I am extremely fortunate this year in that this is the first Thanksgiving in maybe 3 or 4 years that I am actually able to pig out," commented Brown. "I have been in training camp for fights the past few years so I wasn't able to really tear it up. I am planning on eating a decent amount of food, but I want to be careful not to overdo it as I want to train on Friday."
"I don't have a fight in the near future or anything, but I want to maintain a high level of cardio and stay light and improve as much as possible so that when my next fight comes around you guys see the best Matt Brown you have ever seen. I plan on being in the best shape of my life and being as strong as I have ever been and my skills being as sharp as anybody's in the world," added Brown. "I am now 2-1 in the UFC and the one fight that I lost I felt like I won. I have always been confident in my abilities and always believed that I belong in the UFC, but a lot of people are just simply unfortunate and things just seem to go wrong for them once they get in the octagon. I have been fortunate that this is not the case for me and I feel like in the next 2 years I will be prepared to start making a serious run for the title."
"The point is, this holiday I get to pig out, but it is just one day," continued Brown. "Friday I will be back in the gym and doing everything in my power to improve my skills, cardio, strength, and speed so that I can be the best fighter that I can possibly be. I'll let everyone else get fat. As for me, I will take one day, pig out, and be back at it within 24 hours."
Dale Hartt fights Corey Hill on Dec. 10 at UFC Fight for the Troops. He won't be spending the holiday with is family due to his dedication to fight preparation. "Honestly I thought about driving up to my sponsors guy's house for a real Thanksgiving as I'm 400 miles from home. Pretty much that would be me driving 5 hours to watch people eat, fun. But ultimately I'm pissed no gyms are open as that is my last week of work for Corey Hill. I will probably go for a run on Mt. Charleston and have a small meal."
Tim Boetsch emerged in the UFC light heavyweight division by dismantling David Heath at UFC 81. He has a 2-1 UFC record finishing in each of his wins. Boetsch will spend a portion of the day hunting followed by eating. "I am going to be hunting whitetails all day, then I am going to devour a turkey in the evening," said the 205-pound fighter.
"The Fight Professor," Stephen Quadros, will follow a long tradition he's established for celebrating Thanksgiving. "When I'm in town, I have a long standing tradition of going to my friend Rhonda's for Thanksgiving. She is a record/film company exec. who I have known since the 1970s, yes, before there was MMA on TV. During this time of year, I just resign myself to getting FAT...without guilt. "One more chocolate brownie please." SLuuuuuRP!"
"It's a great time to spend with loved ones and close friends, a time to NOT talk about business...too much, hahaha," added Quadros. "Her son is a pretty rockin' guitar player and wants me to play drums on his album. We'll see... The whole time I'm there, in between eating, drinking, hugging,
kissing, talking, I will have an internal narrative going constantly, planning 2009. I can't wait!"Labels: CB Dollaway, Chuck Liddell, Dale Hartt, Dean Lister, Frank Shamock, Frank Trigg, Jamie Varner, Kenny Florian, Matt Brown, Miguel Torres, Stephen Quadros, Tamdan McCrory, Tim Boetsch
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 3:31 AM
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Video: Frank Mir Weighs in on WEC 37 Torres vs. Tapia
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:30 PM
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
WEC 37 Torres vs. Tapia Promo Video
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:25 AM
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