Before finally making his UFC debut earlier this year, Jose "Shorty" Torres was getting creative with finding challenges.
The Titan FC Bantamweight and Flyweight Champion, Torres' next plan was to move up to 145 pounds to compete for the promotion's Featherweight Championship. All of this because two years and six wins in, Torres couldn't get the UFC call.
Torres did get the call two months back, and had a successful debut against another major prospect in Jarred Brooks. However, by the time Torres got in the cage, his roller coaster of emotions had gotten to him a bit, as he tells Fightful.com's James Lynch.
"We already know I'd done so much, done a lot, so fast at such a young age. I believe I've been deserving of a UFC debut since maybe even last year when I won against Pedro Nobre. This isn't going to happen? Let me get another belt. This isn't going to happen? Let me defend it. This isn't going to happen? I guess they just don't like me. I was in MMA limbo wondering what was going to happen. It was difficult. By the time that I won it was a lot of mixed emotions. I made 26 pounds in 9 days. I did things Darren Till and Mackenzie Dern couldn't do, and proving you can make weight with early weigh-ins," said Torres.
The win wasn't without controversy, as Brooks slammed himself and ended up knocked out. Torres says that isn't the type of victory he likes to pick up.
"It's not the way I like to win. I like to get 100 percent credit for the win. Whether people think I scrambled in midair, people think I'm lucky. People believe I was getting beat up the first round. That happens almost every single one first round, that's the way I like to fight. That's what makes me that much more excited to get back in there with Alex Perez," says Torres before calling Brooks a "topsy-turvy bipolar guy."
In the full interview, Jose Shorty Torres (8-0) discusses his upcoming fight against Alex Perez (20-4) at UFC 227 on Aug. 4.
