As Miguel Angel Torres (35-1) goes to defend his WEC Bantamweight Championship title yet again on April 5th, 2009 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL, versus Japanese star, Takeya Mizugaki (11-2-2), he will once again, win or lose, show that he has the heart of a champion and his Latino pride will definitely be on the line and showcased for all to see.
Throughout most of 2008 and into 2009, it has seemed like there has been a Latino takeover of both in the UFC and WEC organizations. With his calm and tolerant attitude on season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter, Efrain “Hecho En Mexico” Escudero (12-0), worked his way to the championship match versus Phillipe Nover (6-1-1) and won the judges over in a unanimous decision earning him the contract as the newest Ultimate Fighter. Not only did he prevail physically he also showed that despite being taunted by fellow fighter Junie Browning (3-1-0) numerous times, Efrain kept a cool head showing that the octagon is the only place you need to prove yourself.
It was at UFC 95 that Diego ”Nightmare” Sanchez (21-2) returned to the ring but this time making his debut at 155 lbs posing a big threat to the lightweight division. As always there were discussions on how strong he would be cutting so much weight. The challenger, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (34-9) is no stranger to the octagon. Sanchez would ultimately get the win as the fight went to the judges’ cards and all voted in favor of Diego.
It’s in the heavyweight division of the UFC where Cain “ El Toro” Velasquez (5-0), is giving not only Latino fans something to cheer about but also is proving to be one of the few legitimate contenders for the championship belt, currently held by Brock Lesner (3-1-0). Having only 3 fights, all of which he won, with the UFC thus far, Velasquez has never let the fight go past the second round as the first two fights were stopped in round one as a result from his thunderous ground and pound game. With similar collegiate credentials as Brock Lesner, Cain is a Two-time All-American wrestler for Arizona State as well as a Two-time Pac-10 Champion and Junior College National Champion for Iowa Central Community College. If both Lesner and Velasquez continue their tear through the Heavyweight division, a match up will definitely be in there future.
The WEC and UFC have plenty of representation from all over the world. With fighters from Japan, Brazil, the UK, and many more, Mexico doesn’t have to worry about anything right now. Anytime you see a fighter with Latino heritage such as Miguel Torres enter the cage, you know you will see a fighter that will not only showcase their physical power but you will also witness the heart of a champion and the will of a warrior.
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