This Saturday May 28th, 2011, two mixed martial art fighters meet at UFC 130 with much to prove. Miguel Torres, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt takes on the up and coming wrestler Demetrious Johnson in a bantamweight clash. The fight will be shown as one of two live on Spike TV. For Torres, it’s a fight as important as when he became the Bantamweight Champion of the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting.
For UFC fans who have yet to see the longtime ruler of the WEC Bantamweight Division, Miguel Torres earned a reputation as a dangerous submission specialist early in his career with WEC where he quickly captured the Bantamweight title in 2007. Just as his career began peaking, the championship fighter was dealt a major set back at the hands of Brian Bowles with his surprising knockout loss in 2009.
After the shocking reality check Miguel received courtesy of Bowels at WEC 42, the humbled Torres did what any true champion would, he acknowledged that he needed to make some changes in order to survive and thrive as a fighter. The former champion has also been reinventing himself with the assistance of Firas Zahabi from Tristar Gym. Zahabi, head trainer for Georges St. Pierre. Zahabi has been helping a fighter known for wild brawls hone his skills and refine his style. His affiliation with Zahabi should help make Miguel Torres the total package.
Demetrious Johnson is coming off a win in his debut at UFC 126. Miguel’s victory at that same show was particularly disappointing considering his reputation as a guy who finishes fights. This match will be a struggle for attention and positioning in the Bantamweight division as Torres needs a decisive win in order to prove to Dana White that he’s a worthy contender on the world’s biggest stage for mixed martial arts fighters.
Don’t get me wrong, this is an equally important contest for Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson who has a bit of a submission game of his own. He’s a wrestler with great conditioning and explosive speed that could put Torres on his back and keep him there. If Johnson can pull off the upset by defeating the more experienced and well rounded Torres, the victory would create an opportunity to move quickly up the ladder in the bantamweight division early is his career.
I’m anticipating a brawl between two warriors who need to make a bigger impact than they did in their last performances or face losing the attention of the UFC elite and fight fans. At UFC 130, Torres has a chance to continue the quest of adding a UFC belt to his collection of titles and awards.
Prediction: Miguel Torres via KO
