Former WEC champion Miguel Torres announces his retirement from MMA
At one time, Miguel Torres was in contention for the title as the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts as he reigned over the bantamweight division in the UFC.
Now Torres has decided to call it a career.
In a Facebook post late Wednesday night, Torres announced his decision to retire from the sport after 17 years and more than 50 fights on his professional record.
"Doesn't feel like my effort is for the love of the fight or competition anymore its just about a paycheck to buy unneeded things and taxes to a corrupt system. Have been bouncing back and forth from injuries the last 20 years, always training through the pain and fighting to build my brand and make my mark in the world," Torres wrote.
"Any of my training partners, promoters, or any promotion I fought for was always aware of these things but the show still went on. Can no longer do it the way I have been. To not do it the right way or to fight small battles in the middle of training camps leads to ugly situations in the cage. It breaks my heart to write this but I officially announce my retirement from mixed martial arts."
During his time with the WEC, Torres was a terror at 135-pounds as he ran through virtually every competitor on the roster while cementing himself as one of the top champions in the entire sport.
Torres defended his bantamweight championship on three occasions while routinely receiving praise as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in all of mixed martial arts.
Torres lost his belt in an upset to Brian Bowles in 2009 and he never regained that same level of success again.
Once the WEC was absorbed into the UFC, Torres continued his career in the Octagon where he engaged in some memorable battles including a razor close decision with current flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
His last fight in the UFC came in 2012 when Torres suffered a knockout loss to former title contender Michael McDonald.
Following his stint in the UFC and WEC, Torres would go onto fight in several different promotions with his last bout taking place in September 2016.
Torres retires with a 44-9 record overall including an 8-4 mark between the UFC and WEC.
