July 28, 2009
WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING® BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION MIGUEL ANGEL TORRES COULD BE THE MOST DOMINANT OF ALL-TIME
WEC: TORRES VS. BOWLES
From The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday, August 9;
Tickets On Sale NOW
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – It’s a debate that captivates the mixed martial arts community. Who is the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighter? Champions like BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Brock Lesnar often get the most recognition, but perhaps the most dominant title holder is one who weighs just 135-pounds.
Miguel Angel Torres, the reigning WEC® bantamweight champion, has lost just once in his nine-year career and is currently riding a 17-fight winning streak. What’s more, since winning the title via submission over Chase Beebe in 2008, Torres has left his mark on the bantamweight division with three masterful championship defenses.
To prove Torres’ dominance, take a look at how he matches up against some of MMA’s top kingpins:
MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS: With 17 straight wins, Torres is the most successful fighter currently considered a top pound-for-pound candidate. During that streak, Torres has submitted 10 foes, knocked out five, and won a decision twice. Only Silva, WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown, and Machida come close to matching such dominance. UFC middleweight champion Silva and Brown both have 10-straight wins, while light heavyweight champion Machida is unbeaten in 15 professional contests.
BEST SUBMISSION PERCENTAGE: Of all major world champions, 28-year-old Torres boasts the highest submission percentage at 60 percent. WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner is second with a 56 percent ratio, while WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is third with a 55 percent mark. UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn boasts a respectable 38 percent submission percentage.
MOST STOPPAGE VICTORIES: Matched with the sport’s top stars, Torres has nearly double the overall stoppage victories than the next closest champion. With 31 wins by knockout or submission, Torres bests Silva (18), Brown (16), Varner (14), St-Pierre (12), Penn (10), Machida (7), and Lesnar (3).
SECOND IN TITLE DEFENSES: Only 185-pound titlist Silva has more successful championship defenses (5) than Torres (3). A win on Aug. 9 would also put Torres in elite company when it comes to most championship fights won. A victory over Bowles would be Torres’ fifth in a title bout, tying him with Hall-of-Famer Chuck Liddell. Silva and St-Pierre are the only other active champions with more wins in title fights (6).
SECOND MOST KOs AMONG ACTIVE CHAMPIONS: With nine knockout victories in his career, Torres ranks second behind Silva (14) among current title holders. St-Pierre (8), Penn (5), Machida (5), Varner (5), Brown (4) and Lesnar (2) round out the list.
For more information on Miguel Angel Torres’ success, as well as information about the upcoming WEC: Torres vs. Bowles card, visit http://www.wec.tv. Follow WEC on Twitter at http://twitter.com/weconversus.
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 http://www.wec.tv or http://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.
About World Extreme Cagefighting®
The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.
About VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
About The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Designed by the renowned Montreal-based architectural design firm Scéno Plus, the new Joint at Hard Rock has a capacity of 4,000, offers seven premiere VIP hospitality suites, and features an innovative sound and lighting system. To maximize fan’s enjoyment with a genuine experience, the new Joint is double its previous size, yet maintains the same atmosphere of the original venue. Introduced to concert-goers in April, the new Joint has opened to rave reviews thanks to its focus on creating the ultimate viewing experience.
###
