After dropping two straight fights, former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will look to find his way back into the winning column and ultimately back into title contention when he faces Charlie Valencia at WEC 51, MMA Fighting has learned from sources with knowledge of the situation.

The bout will serve as the co-main event of the evening, sources have confirmed.



Share Torres (37-3) held the WEC's 135-pound belt from Feb. 2008 until Aug. 2009, when he lost by KO at the hands of Brian Bowles. That was his first loss in nearly six years.

Surprisingly, he then suffered a second straight setback when he tapped out due to a guillotine submission against Joseph Benavidez in March. Despite the back-to-back defeats, however, Torres is still considered one of the best bantamweights in the world.

In Valencia, he faces a quality veteran who is in the midst of a three-fight win streak, defeating Seth Dikun, Coty Wheeler and most recently, Akitoshi Tamura. Valencia is 12-5 all-time and 5-3 in his WEC career.

WEC 51 takes place on Sept. 30 from 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event is likely to be headlined by a featherweight title defense by champion Jose Aldo, though an opponent has yet to be decided upon.