Tag: Manuel Torres

John McCarthy weighs in on Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober stoppage at UFC on ESPN 64

John McCarthy thinks Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober at UFC on ESPN 64 was stopped too late.

[autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 64 was stopped too late.

Torres (16-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) dropped Dober (27-15 MMA, 13-11 UFC) with a straight right, followed by a series of unanswered hammerfists to score the Round 1 TKO in Saturday’s co-main event at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.

Many, including Torres, took issue with how long it took referee Mike Beltran to wave the fight off after Dober wasn’t intelligently defending himself. Veteran referee McCarthy acknowledges that it’s tough to gauge sometimes, but thinks Beltran let Dober take too much unnecessary damage.

“The stoppage was a little slow when you look at it,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “It was good, but it was a little slow because of the uniqueness of what you watched off of the way he went down and then the way he just stayed in one spot eating 15 shots that were hard and again, people think, ‘Oh a hammer fist.’

“Hammer fists have power. I just don’t know how to tell you man, don’t let someone get a free shot on the side of your noggin with a good hammer fist because we’ve done studies on all that stuff, and you’ll get people able to throw a hammer fist every bit as hard as someone throwing a straight shot.”

McCarthy says Beltran should have trusted his initial instinct.

“He actually stepped in, and then was like, ‘Oh, got to give him more of a shot,'” McCarthy said. “It’s like: No, you should have stopped it there. You had the right read. But I understand why he didn’t.”

Dober, who now has lost three straight fights, took to X to react to his loss.

“Well, that sucked. A beautifully timed one two by Manuel Torres. There’s not much to go off of other than, unfortunately, stepping in front of the rear hand of a long power puncher.

“As much as I love Mexico City, it’s given me two of my most embarrassing losses of my career, haha. But the food and people are still the best. I’m happy and healthy and excited to be a stay at home dad for a while.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Manuel Torres wishes Mike Beltran stopped UFC on ESPN 64 fight vs. Drew Dober sooner

In the UFC on ESPN 64 co-main event Manuel Torres brutalized Drew Dober – and didn’t feel great about the referee stoppage or lack thereof.

MEXICO CITY – A lot was made out of his co-main event knockout win vs. Drew Dober on Saturday, and [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] himself sits on the side of the fence that says the fight should’ve been stopped sooner.

“If you look at the replay, I was watching to the referee, ‘I’m making a lot of damage to my opponent,’ but he didn’t stop the fight,” Torres told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a UFC on ESPN 64 post-fight news conference Saturday. “So I’m a professional. I kept doing it. But yeah, of course I felt my opponent was a little down even before the stoppage.”

“… Just in certain positions, that can happen. Of course in this one, Drew Dober was looking down, so for the referee, it was hard to watch him (and see) if he was out or not. I think they could work a little bit on that kind of thing, but just it’s really specific positions.”

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A win is a win. Looking at it from nearly every angle and perspective, it was violent and the biggest of Torres’ career to date.

“Of course this is my most important day in my career,” Torres said. “Every time that I fight here in Mexico, I feel this is the most important day of my career. So tonight, I feel that it was really special.”

“Well, UFC just announced a Mexican card on Sept. 13, so of course I want to be part of that event. I feel that I do a lot of things in the name of Mexico. Yeah, for sure, I would like to fight in Mexico again with a top-15 fighter, a top-15 opponent.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC on ESPN 64 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $33 million

UFC Mexico fighters took home Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, with Kelvin Gastelum and Drew Dober leading the way.

MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $168,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 64 took place at Arena CDMX in Mexico. The card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 64 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]David Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Saimon Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Borjas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ateba Gautier[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Daniel Medina[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinc Pichel[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]MarQuel Mederos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $11,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,640; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-64 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,118,000
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $33,135,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC Mexico bonuses include two thrilling promotional debuts

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, including a pair to fighters who were making their promotional debuts.

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, including a pair to fighters who were making their promotional debuts.

After UFC on ESPN 64, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Mexico City. Check out the winners below.

Performance of the Night: Ateba Gautier

Ateba Gautier def. Jose Daniel Medina via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 3:32

[autotag]Ateba Gautier[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a scintillating UFC debut when he drilled Jose Daniel Medina (11-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a brutal knee in the first round to announce his presence in the middleweight division.

Ateba Gautier def. Jose Daniel Medina, UFC on ESPN 64 (via UFC)

Performance of the Night: David Martinez

David Martinez def. Saimon Oliveira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:38

[autotag]David Martinez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) joined his sister Melissa as members of the UFC ranks – and members who each are doctors, no less – and took out Saimon Oliveira (18-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) with a first-round TKO.

David Martinez def. Saimon Oliveira, UFC on ESPN 64 (via UFC)

Performance of the Night: Edgar Chairez

Edgar Chairez def. CJ Vergara via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:30

[autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was fighting CJ Vergara (12-7-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) on the prelims when the day started, but found his fight on the main card in a key spot toward the top. He took advantage with a thrilling first-round submission in front of his home fans that he said was emotional because of the death of his grandfather.

Edgar Chairez def. CJ Vergara, UFC on ESPN 64 (via UFC)

Performance of the Night: Manuel Torres

Manuel Torres def. Drew Dober via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:45

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) picked up the biggest win of his career when he pounded out Drew Dober (27-15 MMA, 13-11 UFC) quickly into the first round of the co-main event. Torres hit Dober with more than a dozen hammerfists, most of which appeared to be unnecessary had referee Mike Beltran stepped in to stop things sooner. After Dober stumbled to his feet, Beltran then stood in front of him to make sure he didn’t keep fighting, giving direct evidence to the official of the unnecessarily late finish.

Manuel Torres def. Drew Dober, UFC on ESPN 64 (via UFC)

UFC Mexico galleries

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC on ESPN 64 video: Manuel Torres hammerfists Drew Dober for quick TKO

Manuel Torres smoked 25-fight octagon veteran Drew Dober in less than two minutes at UFC Mexico.

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] delivered another thrilling performance in his young octagon career Saturday when he quickly dispatched of veteran [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 64 co-main event.

Torres (16-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) promised excitement in the lightweight matchup at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, and he lived up to that when he hurt Dober (27-15 MMA, 13-11 UFC) with a huge straight right for a knockdown followed by a series of hammerfists for the TKO at the 1:45 mark of Round 1.

Dober protested the stoppage in the immediate aftermath, but didn’t appear fully aware what had unfolded.

Check out the replay of the stoppage below (via X):

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 64 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 64

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres co-main event at UFC Mexico.

Drew Dober and Manuel Torres meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 64 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 4-2
UFC main cards, 2025: 25-22-1

Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres UFC Mexico preview

Somehow, Dober (27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) has been in the UFC nearly a dozen years, and with eight bonuses he’s one of the most consistently exciting lightweights – but one who’s dropped three of his past four … Torres (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had three straight first-round stoppage bonus-winners before he was upset by Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 306 – a loss he wants to erase in front of his home fans.

Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres UFC Mexico expert pick, prediction

The co-main event in Mexico City features an insane action fight at lightweight between [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] and [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag].

Despite his boyish good looks, Dober has been spilling blood under the UFC banner for over a decade now, so it’s nice to see him get some love with the co-headliner slot.

Torres, on the other hand, has not been here long but has certainly made his presence known.

An underrated submission threat with knockout power in both hands, there are plenty of directions that Torres can hypothetically take a fight. That said, we’ve yet to see the Mexican against a dedicated southpaw at this level, so I’ll be curious to see if “El Loco” is even more susceptible to counters in the open stance.

Luckily for Torres, Dober’s aggressive style will allow for ample opportunities to catch the American early.

Still, I can’t help but side with experience and superior technique, so I’ll take Dober to come out on top via a knockout in Round 1.

Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres UFC Mexico odds

The oddsmakers and the public are keeping the betting lines tight, listing Dober -118 and Torres -104 via FanDuel.

Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres UFC Mexico start time, how to watch

Dober and Torres are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:15 p.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC on ESPN 64: Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 odds between Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round lightweight bout on the main card, Manuel Torres and Drew Dober meet at UFC on ESPN 64 Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC on ESPN 64: Torres vs. Dober odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims start at 4 p.m. ET with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+).

Records: Torres (15-3-0) | Dober (27-14-0)

The 30-year-old Torres fights in front of his fellow countrymen at Arena CDMX in Ciudad de Mexico. The switch-stance fighter takes the walk with a 3-inch reach advantage over the veteran American fighter Dober.

Torres also holds a 7.17-to-4.39 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, while also landing those strikes at 56.57% to only 45.44% for the 36-year-old southpaw. In addition, Torres has managed a 2.26 takedown average, while Dober has posted just a 0.67 TD Average.

Torres suffered a Round 1 KO/TKO loss to Ignacio Bahamondes last time out at UFC 306 – Riyadh Season Noche UFC in mid-September 2024. That halted a 3-bout in streak to start his UFC career. All 3 of the victories came in Round 1, too.

Dober has suffered back-to-back losses to Jean Silva and Renato Moicano since his most recent victory Oct. 7, 2023 against Ricky Glenn via KO/TKO in Round 1. He is just 1-3 in his past 4 fights, too.

The southpaw Dober has seen 6 of his past 7 fights end via KO/TKO, with a TKO – Doctor’s Stoppage loss in Round 3 against Silva last time out, and he is 4-2 in those 6 KO/TKO results since March 12, 2022.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN 64: Torres vs. Dober odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Torres -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Dober -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
  • Total rounds: 1.5 (Over +140 | Under -190)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +450 | No -800)

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UFC on ESPN 64: Torres vs. Dober picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

TORRES (-115) is fine to play on the 2-way line, either as a singular play, or as part of a multi-leg parlay.

Torres has the leg up on Dober because he is fighting in his native land, so the crowd will be heavily on his side.

Don’t underestimate the fact that this fight is at elevation, too, and Torres is much more acclimated to fighting in Mexico City, where Dober could struggle with his cardio more than a mile above sea level.

TORRES BY KO/TKO OR DQ (+200) is worth a look for the chance to double up on the method of victory on the 7-way line.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 1.5 ROUNDS (-190) will cost you nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s only worth playing as part of a multi-leg parlay, or with an odds boost.

As far as the ‘Will the fight go the distance?’ prop, you cannot play No (-800), which sets you back 8 times your potential return. Either straight up, or as part of a multi-leg parlay, including this prop makes absolutely no sense. There is just no value here otherwise.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC on ESPN 64 full card final faceoffs: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer, Raul Rosas Jr., more

The entire 13-bout lineup for Saturday’s UFC Mexico had final staredowns with a range of emotions on display.

MEXICO CITY – The build to UFC on ESPN 64 is now complete after Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in session, where the entire card had the opportunity to face off in front of fans and media.

With 13 contests scheduled, including a Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg flyweight headliner, there are some meaningful bouts set to go down on Saturday at Arena CDMX (ESPN2, ESPN+).

Supporting bouts include [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag], and [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag].

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The athletes had a final opportunity to get a good look at what they will be sharing the octagon with, and you can watch the video of all the UFC on ESPN 64 pre-fight staredowns in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

 

UFC on ESPN 64’s Manuel Torres predicts Fight of the Night battle with Drew Dober

Manuel Torres is expecting fireworks when he meets Drew Dober in the cage at UFC on ESPN 64 in Mexico City.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] is just days away from his first UFC co-main event, and intends to deliver another memorable performance.

At UFC on ESPN 64 at Arena CDMX, Torres (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will share the octagon with Drew Dober in a lightweight matchup that screams action on paper. Torres has taken home a bonus in each of his three UFC victories. He intends to secure his fourth by taking out Dober (27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC).

“I think it has the makings of a Fight of the Night,” Torres told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “I think he’s a very explosive fighter. I’m always looking to finish the fight, and we’re going to go for it. We’re going to go get that bonus.”

From his Dana White’s Contender Series appearance to all four of his UFC appearances, the wins and the lone loss, Torres has not seen a second round. He makes his intentions clear when he speaks and backs it up inside the cage.

After blitzing through his first three UFC opponents, Torres ran into a right hand that spelled the end of his fight against Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 306. It was his first loss since 2019, but he learned a few things from that performance that he intends to implement in this outing against Dober.

“A lot of lessons to be learned there,” Torres said. “I think to be more chill with myself and calm down, and be more focused on the strategy. I think that being calmer during the fight.”

While Torres says he will be more calm, it’s tough to tell what thatt means when he still intends to take home a bonus for taking Dober out before the final horn.

“I’m coming here to finish,” Torres said. “I’m not going to leave anything to the judges.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC 306 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: O’Malley, Grasso net $42,000 for entering as champs

Sean O’Malley and Alexa Grasso got the biggest checks from the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program fro UFC 306, which paid $239,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 306 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $239,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 306 took place at Sphere. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 306 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Aori Qileng[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,721,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,458,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.