FIGHTER PROFILE: TECIA “TINY TORNADO” TORRES

One of the most interesting fighters to come out of The Ultimate Fighter is Tecia Torres. Torres was on Season 20 of the show and since then has made quite a name for herself in the promotion. She’s won her last three fights including a victory at UFC 265 in August. Torres is one tough fighter, and though she’s had a few rough patches in her career she’s come out of those rough patches a better fighter. 

Torres was born August 16, 1989 in Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S. She had a tough upbringing and credits her Mom with always encouraging her to stay on the straight and narrow and for also enrolling her and constantly paying for her Martial Arts training. Torres Started Taekwondo as a child. Torres would receive her black belt after 12 years of training in the sport. Torres is also a Black Belt in Karate and has a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Torres also excels out of the Martial arts sphere with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology and a Masters in criminology all from Florida Atlantic University. 

In 2011 Torres started her amature MMA career she’d win each of her seven bouts and would win titles for the 115-pound divisions of MMA Solutions, US Freedom Fighter Championship and American Battle Championships. This early success led to Torres going on to fight MMA professionally. She’d start her professional career by signing with Invicta Fighting Championships. She fought four fights with Invicta and won each of those fights including wins over future UFC Strawweight Paige Vanzant. She also notched a win against future Two time UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas.

This early professional MMA success would lead to Torres to compete On The Ultimate Fighter. During this season the UFC added the strawweight division and the contestants would fight for the UFC Strawweight title. It was the first season where all of the Fighters ended up in the UFC. Torres had found her home and although she has had a rough patch where she lost four fights in a row It should be noted that all but one of Torres’ career losses were to future or former UFC champions.