The Sports Informant

By Patrick Ibarra
Editor

Sacramento-based fighter Joseph Benavidez knew he had a tough task at hand when it was announced he’d be fighting one of the best Mixed Martial Artists in the world in Miguel Torres at WEC 47 on March 6. Unfortunately for Torres, Benavidez didn’t care.

The 36-2 Torres came into the fight with a wealth of experience and as the former World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight champion. He had a five-inch height advantage and an 11-inch reach advantage over Benavidez. He even entered with a jiu jitsu black belt. Someone forgot to tell Benavidez.

The 5-foot-4-inch Benavidez attacked the former champ with kicks and punches before taking him to the ground in consecutive rounds, ultimately ending the fight with a guillotine choke submission in the second round. The win pushed Benavidez’s record to 12-1, and put him directly in line for a title shot in the Bantamweight division.

Joseph Benavidez celebrates after beating Miguel Torres. (Photo courtesy WEC)

Prior to the fight, Benavidez spoke about the importance of it.

“Tonight’s fight is not for the title, but it’s the biggest fight of my life,” he told the WEC. “It’s a fight I’ve taken more serious than any other fight. I’m going to have to fight for every inch in there.”

He did, often backing Torres up while he attacked. Torres, who hadn’t fought in seven months since his loss to Brian Bowles, looked shaky and nervous.

“Beating Miguel is just gonna show everyone that I’m one of the best fighters in the world,” Benavidez said.

After the win, an ecstatic Benavidez showed fans how important the win was for his career.

“I just went in there to fight a fight,” he said in the Octagon. “I’ve been waiting for this fight forever. I was totally prepared for this thanks to Urijah (Faber), Team Alpha Male (and) Master Thong. They said that I’ve got it, to keep on fighting, I can win. I believed in myself, they believed in me. Everyone out there who believes in me, thank you very much.”

For a closer look, read my round-by-round analysis of the fight below.

Round 1

After a lengthy feeling out process, in which Benavidez stood in the center of the ring and waited patiently for a circling Torres from the outside, the two fighters engaged a few times with strikes, though nothing solid landed.

Leg kicks back and forth eventually forced Benavidez to go in for a takedown, pushing Torres against the cage. When Torres tried a knee, Benavidez threw a hip toss to take Torres down, where Benavidez rained ground and pound the rest of the round, avoiding a few armbar attempts by Torres.

Round winner: Benavidez

Round 2

Torres starts to work his distance with jabs to Benavidez’s face, one grazing the nose and causing disruption to Benavidez’s style. Benavidez, though, throws combinations of leg kick to right hook punch to close the distance, just missing with a few haymakers.

At mid-round Benavidez fakes a right hook and shoots in for a takedown, easily getting Torres to the ground against the cage. Elbows by Benavidez thwart submissions from the ground Torres continues to attempt, one of them cutting open Torres’ forehead and releasing a heavy dose of blood.

A bloody Torres tries to clean himself up while Benavidez backs off, but when Benavidez sees the opening, he rushes forward, eventually grabbing Torres’ neck and putting him in a guillotine choke. Torres tries to get out of the submission by rolling Benavidez over, but Benavidez grips tighter and with more time into the choke, Torres is forced to tap.

Fight winner: Benavidez wins by guillotine choke submission with 2:02 left in the second round.

Benavidez vs. Torres slideshow