A Wealth of Experience Gives Jose Torres Confidence Heading into Titan FC 40 Showdown

Looking back on his second pro fight this past April compared to his debut in March, flyweight prospect Jose “Shorty” Torres experienced a large difference in how he felt going into the fight.

In facing veteran Reynaldo Duarte at Titan FC 38, Torres noted a difference in his level of calm, which allowed him to enjoy the fight more and be able to pick up a unanimous decision win over a fighter who had a lot more pro experience than he did.

“When I fought Reynaldo, I was a lot more relaxed,” Torres told MMAWeekly.com. “It wasn’t like my pro debut (against Travis Taylor) where I was super-anxious. I had a lot more fun.

“It was against a veteran, someone who had 16 pro fights, and I had only one at the time, but I believe my amateur experience helped out a lot.”

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Though he wasn’t able to finish Duarte like he did Taylor, Torres sees his win in March as a great learning experience and essential to his growth as a young fighter.

“The good thing about it was that it was my first five-minute round and my first 15-minute fight, all at the same time,” said Torres.

“Reynaldo, I appreciate the go, because he was my version of Diego Sanchez, no matter how many times you punch him in the face or make him bleed or drop him, he kept moving forward. That showed a little pride in myself and I thought it was a good performance.”

Torres (2-0) will seek to remain undefeated when he takes on Abdiel Velazquez (7-2) in a main card 125-pound bout at Titan FC 40 on Friday in Coral Gables, Fla.

“I think he’s a great fighter, he’s very smart, but truthfully I believe I’m better in almost every sense,” Torres said of Velazquez. “I’m going to be very persistent. I’m going to be able to push the pace and be able to cut the corner off. I’ll be able to impose my will as I go.

“No matter where the fight goes, standing or on the ground, I believe I’ll have the advantage and a lot more experience. I believe I’m ready for this fight and I’m ready to put on a show.”

Though still young in his pro career, Torres’ amateur resume combined with his engaging personality has helped him take great strides over the last year, and he can only see good things coming for himself as time goes on.

“I had 26 amateur fights and went 25-1 and definitely did it the right way,” he said. “I got all the experience I needed to. I won two world championships. I didn’t have to do the local circuit and got signed directly to Titan because of it.

“I believe I’m going to make a huge impact in the flyweight division, where I should be for my height and stature. I think I’m doing a good job so far and I’m excited to see where it goes in the future.”

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