Miguel Torres har delat sin träning mellan två läger. Efter att ha spenderat flera veckor med Blackzilians elittränare befinner han sig på Tristar med Firas Zahabi, Rick Hawn och flera andra MMAspecialister. I en intervju med bloodyelbow pratar han om hans kommande match mot Michael McDonald under UFC 145.
– To me, the two camps are very similar. The biggest difference in the Blackzilians and Tristar is just the training partners. With the Blackzilians, I have a ton of guys that are huge. I’ve got Marcus Aurelio, JZ, a ton of great coaches, great workouts. Mike Van Arsdale, Tyron Spong, Mario Sperry is there…there’s just a ton of great pros. For me, the big difference is the amount of training partners I have. There are like 30 guys here at Tristar that are my size that I get to train with on a daily basis. Most of those guys are pros. They’re in Bellator, Strikeforce or the UFC. For me, both are great places to train, säger Torres när han ombeds jämföra de två träningsläger han varit på.
Torres känner sig laddad för matchen, men för honom är platsen där matchen går inte viktig, det är bara ett namn och när han är där är han mest grinig. Han känner att han inte riktigt är på topp än, men har ingen riktigt brådska.
– I’d fight in a hallway, an alley, the back of a little bar. For me, it doesn’t matter. The place I fight in is just a name. For me, the only place I’m fighting in, is the octagon. I don’t get to take in any scenery. I get there, I’m stuck in a hotel or a gym. I’m a little upset, and I’m cutting weight. I’m hungry and thirsty, and I’m looking to kick someone’s ass. There’s nothing fun about that whole situation until after the fight, and even then, it’s a blur. What you guys get to enjoy, when you go to a fight, I don’t get to enjoy, so for me, it’s just the octagon.
– I don’t feel like I’ve hit my prime yet. I’m working with so many different guys. I’m picking up things from here and there. I’m only 31. I’m still young. My body has been holding up well. I’ve been training a lot smarter than the way I used to. I feel like I’ve gotten a second chance at life. I have no stress. Before the last two or three years, I had a ton of stress from my gym, but now I have my sister helping me out. She’s doing a great job. I’m in a real good place right now.
Torres är självsäker inför matchen mot McDonald, att det kommer vara tufft motstånd och en hård match.
– He’s a great fighter. I’m not putting anything past him. I’ve studied his fights. He’s a good counter striker, but he hasn’t fought anybody super tough yet, and I’m going to be his biggest challenge to date. He’s a good person, and I have nothing negative to say about him. I think the first round is going to start off very, very explosive. I know he’s a great counter puncher, and the way you beat a counter striker is with pressure, so I think we’re going to bang it out the first round. I think the second round is where it’s going to end.
