Former WEC champion and ex-UFC fighter Miguel Torres has had a tough time of it in the cage lately, and with that in mind it’s somewhat surprising to hear what the veteran fighter is planning to do next.
It was yesterday announced that Torres is set to sign for the Glory kickboxing organization and will make his debut in a one-night, four-man tournament at 145lbs on June 21st.
Despite his vast experience in MMA with almost 50 fights to his name and a background in muay-thai, Torres is new to the kickboxing scene and with that in mind he’ll perhaps be relieved that he was drawn against another kickboxing newcomer Shane Oblonsky in the semi-finals.
However, if he progresses to the final he’ll have to face a more seasoned fighter with Gabriel Varga and Yodkhunpon Sitmonchai competing in the other bracket.
That’s not all Torres has up his sleeve though, as he’s also just been announced as competing in a one-night, eight-man MMA tournament hosted by Singapore promotion Rebel MMA just a few months later on August 1st.
The opening round bouts were unveiled yesterday with Torres being drawn against Takahiro Ashida who weilds a solid 12-2 professional record, with another former UFC fighter Will Chope also featuring on his side of the bracket.
All in all Torres upcoming schedule sounds rather risky for a fighter that’s been down on his luck over the past few years.
Torres UFC career came to an abrupt end in 2012 following a knockout loss to Michael MacDonald that left him 2-2 in the promotion.
He then signed with the World Series Of Fighting promotion where he was unable to rediscover his form, picking up a further two losses.
This was a remarkable contrast in fortunes for a fighter who at one stage in his WEC career had appeared to have an aura of invincibility around him, holding a fearsome 37-1 record in 2009 as the organization’s bantamweight champion.
The bubble burst shortly after that though, picking up back-to-back KO and submission losses and he’s never looked quite the same fighter since.
It’s not all doom and gloom though – the 33 year-old did earn a victory in a regional promotion against the unheralded Giovanni Moljo back in February, and who’s to say how he’ll do in his upcoming tournament fights, but he’s certainly himself out a tough road to get back to the top.
