Ex-WEC champ Miguel Torres arrested for marijuana possession

Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres was arrested over the weekend in his home state of Indiana on a marijuana charge.

The former UFC fighter has not competed since a loss at World Series of Fighting’s debut show this past November.

According to information released by the Marshall County (Ind.) Sheriff’s Department, Torres, 32, was charged with possession of marijuana. He posted a $1,500 cash bond, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Torres’ jail booking was posted as part of the department’s arrests between Aug. 24-25.

A message left for Torres by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was not immediately returned.

Torres won WEC’s 135-pound title in 2008, which upped his record to 34-1. He quickly became one of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters and defended his title three times before losing to Brian Bowles at WEC 42 in August 2009.

His next fight out, Joseph Benavidez submitted him, which marked the first losing skid of Torres’ career. He rebounded by tapping out Charlie Valencia in his final WEC fight and winning a “Submission of the Night” bonus, and he then beat Antonio Banuelos in his UFC debut following the WEC/UFC merger.

He then dropped a controversial decision to Demetrious Johnson, beat Nick Pace, and then ran into his first bit of trouble with the UFC. Following a tweet that made light of rape, Torres was released by the promotion in early December 2011. But later that month, after doing charitable work for women’s victims organizations and making his amends with UFC President Dana White, the UFC brought him back into the fold for a second chance.

Against Michael McDonald at UFC 145, however, Torres was knocked out in the first round. It was his final fight for the promotion, where he went 2-2 overall. After the public firing, speculation was that his second release might be for a similar reason – which Torres denied.

Torres initially signed with with Titan Fighting Championship but ultimately went to WSOF for his first fight outside the Zuffa banner since 2007. But against Marlon Moraes, he dropped a unanimous decision and hasn’t been in action since then.

In recent years Torres has split time between the gym he runs in northwest Indiana, Tristar Gym in Montreal, and the Blackzilians camp in South Florida.

For more information on this story as it becomes available, stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com.