Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

At 34-1 with a 15-fight win streak, a WEC bantamweight championship and a top 10 world pound-for-pound ranking, Miguel Torres has every reason to pound his chest and demand the attentions of the mixed martial arts world.

Among that vaunted top 10 group, Torres is likely the least known, and that is in no small part due to his own modesty.

With the recent loss of former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber, Torres gets a chance to seize the spotlight once and for all when he squares off with unbeaten Manny Tapia on Dec. 3 (8 pm ET on Versus).

But stardom is hardly an important factor to the 27-year-old Purdue University graduate, who grew up in Indiana and holds traditional Midwest values.

"You know what? I don't really like the spotlight too much," he says.

It has never been about fame for Torres, who many times in his early career fought for free, simply for the experience.

Torres, like many Mexican-Americans, actually grew up as a fan of boxing, idolizing the great Julio Cesar Chavez, but upon seeing the smallish Royce Gracie choking out bigger opponents, he was mesmerized. By then, Torres had already spent time training karate, but decided he needed to learn jiu-jitsu as well. By the time he was 18 years old, he was competing in pro MMA.

Since then, he has put together one of the most stunning records in the sport. His only loss — a unanimous decision against Ryan Ackerman — was avenged with a first-round submission win two years later.

"For some reason," he says, "fighting just came naturally to me."

Since leaving the regional promotions behind for the WEC in mid-2007, Torres has been a powerhouse, winning all three of his WEC fights with decisive finishes.

In his debut, he needed only 2:30 to submit Jeff Bedard with a triangle. He followed that up with another first-round submission, this one a guillotine over Chase Beebe to win the title. In his first defense, he and Yoshiro Maeda slugged it out for three rounds before the ringside doctor ruled the battered Maeda unable to continue.

While Torres has had his greatest success on the ground (20 of his wins are by submission), Tapia believes he can present him with a standup power threat he hasn't yet faced in the WEC.

In the weeks leading up to the fight, Tapia (10-0-1) has challenged Torres to keep the fight standing and make it a striking war. But the challenger said it's not due to any perceived holes in Torres' game. Instead, he says, he had heard that Torres challenged him first, and he wanted Torres to know he was ready to return fire.

Tapia comes from a similar background as Torres, also a Mexican-American who grew up a fan of Julio Cesar Chavez. But when he asked his aunt about joining a nearby boxing gym, she denied him. [Tapia's parents died when he was eight.] He didn't start martial arts until he was 21, but progressed quickly.

Apart from their rivalry, the two share mutual respect. They met on a press tour in Mexico City, and their shared heritage and background made for a natural friendship.

"He's a cool dude," Tapia said. "We're friends outside the ring, but when we step inside it's a whole different ballgame. I know he's going to try to knock my head off, and I'm going to try to knock his head off. He's a well-rounded fighter and world champ. And I'm going to try to take that away from him."

Josh Hedges / Zuffa Manny Tapia loves to let his hands loose.

Their Mexican heritage can help the winner's profile in the future. The WEC fully realizes that many Hispanic fans love combat sports, and plan to host an event in Mexico within the next 18 months.

"We'd love to bring an event there," said WEC vice president Peter Dropick. "Fans in Mexico are some of the best fight fans in the world. We've had fighters down there, and the response is tremendous and keeps growing. It's a logical place to bring a fight."

Such an event would need a fighter with ties to the country. Torres and Tapia would be prime candidates. Both are fluent in Spanish and have the fighting spirit that Mexicans hold dear. Which means that some day in the near future, if he keeps winning, Torres could find himself a huge star, surrounded by throngs of fans. It will be an uncomfortable position for him.

He will always enjoy a more personal encounter, like man vs. man with everything on the line.

He may not want the spotlight, but it might want him.

Full WEC Card
WEC Bantamweight Championship:
Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia

Brian Bowles vs. Will Ribeiro
Wagnney Fabiano vs. Akitoshi Tamura
Joseph Benavidez vs. Danny Martinez
Justin Haskins vs. Johny Hendricks
Ricardo Barros vs. Mark Munoz
Blas Avena vs. Kevin Knabjian
Diego Nunes vs. Cole Province
Alex Karalexis vs. Bart Palaszewski
Cub Swanson vs. Hirouki Takaya
Shane Roller vs. Mike Budnik

WEC announces next event
The WEC will take its act to San Diego for the first time, hosting an event at the San Diego Sports Arena on Jan. 25. The main event will pit lightweight champ Jamie Varner against Donald Cerrone, while the co-main event will boast a rematch between the popular ex-champ Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver.

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