WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres defended his title against Yoshiro Maeda tonight in Sacramento, with three rounds of tremendous action ending when Maeda's severely swollen right eye prevented him from continuing.The fight got off to a blistering pace in the first round, with Maeda opening up a gash on Torres' face within the first minute and Torres responding with versatile fighting skills, doing damage both on his feet and on the ground.
In the second round they traded strikes on their feet, went to the ground and had an intense moment where both athletes were going for heel hook submissions simultaneously. The round ended with Torres drilling Maeda repeatedly but unable to finish him.
The third round started with Torres landing a knee and then proceeded with Torres landing left jabs that damaged Maeda's right eye. The fighters stood for almost all of the round, and Maeda's eye swelled to the point where it was almost totally shut. Before the fourth round could start, the ringside doctor urged referee Herb Dean to stop the fight because of Maeda's eye, and Torres kept his title.
Many observers consider the lanky, 5-foot-9, 135-pound Torres one of the 10 best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and he showed why tonight, improving his record to 34-1. Torres is the real deal, and the toughest little guy in the sport.
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