Tag: Tecia Torres

Tecia Torres eyes top 5 ranking with a win at UFC 273 over Mackenzie Dern

Tecia Torres believes Mackenzie Dern will have trouble getting her to the ground at UFC 273.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag] has her sights set on the top of the strawweight division, and it starts with a win at UFC 273 over Mackenzie Dern.

Torres (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has looked fantastic in her three previous outings, an improvement she credits to her focus on mental health and her work with a sports psychologist.

Dern (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) presents a tough test, and if successful, Torres hopes to see her name among the top of the division.

“It’s probably the biggest fight to date for me in a while,” Torres told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’m excited, I just really want that top 5 spot. I’m gonna get it this weekend.”

Her opponent, Dern, holds the No. 7 slot, while Torres currently sits at No. 12 in the latest MMA Junkie/USA TODAY Sports women’s strawweight rankings.

Torres says she didn’t go through a specialized training camp as understands the strengths and weaknesses of Dern, which she believes makes for a bad stylistic matchup for her opponent. While the path to victory for both strawweights isn’t exactly a secret, execution will be the real challenge according to Torres.

“Preparation’s the same as always,” Torres explained. “Improving in every arena. I’m very confident in my jiu-jitsu, very confident in my grappling, very confident in my striking – no different than any other fight. Obviously, I’m aware that she wants to go to the ground, and obviously, I would like to keep it striking. There’s a lot of things she has to get through to get me on the ground.”

Check out the full media day interview with Torres in the video above.

[pickup_prop id=”18847″]

[vertical-gallery id=325819]

Spinning Back Clique: Heavy odds in Chimaev vs. Burns, UFC 273 title fights, more

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel discusses the hottest topics in the world of MMA on this week’s show.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week, our panel Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss these five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia:

  • It’s UFC 273 fight week and we’re looking forward to two big title fights. In the main event, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] puts his featherweight title on the line against “The Korean Zombie” [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag]. Volkanovski enters this one as a significant favorite, around a -850 favorite according to Tipico odds. With two title defenses under his belt, where would Volkanovski fall in the greatest featherweight of all-time conversation if he picks up his third on Saturday?
  • The co-main event of UFC 273 will see bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] face former champ, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]. Their first meeting ended via disqualification due to an illegal knee from Yan, which led to a lot of criticism sent in Sterling’s direction. Considering the first fight wasn’t going Sterling’s way before the illegal knee, should he show up and turn in a dominant performance to defend his title, will he get the respect he deserves? How will his title reign be viewed?
  • The feature bout of Saturday’s pay-per-view event is a fantastic matchup between top welterweights [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] and [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]. While the matchup itself is intriguing for a lot of reasons, one thing that is turning a lot of heads is how wide the betting odds are in this one. Tipico Sportsbook has Chimaev as a -550 favorite while Burns is +370. Do the oddsmakers have this one right? Should Chimaev be such a wide favorite considering his competition thus far when Burns has been in there with the welterweight champ Kamaru Usman?
  • Keeping with the UFC 273 main card, there is an important strawweight battle between [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] and [autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]. Although she’s entering on a loss to Marina Rodriguez, Dern was running hot on a four-fight win streak. She’ll look to snap the streak of Torres, who has hit a stride as of late a winner three straight. Both of these fighters were viewed as potential world champions, so who has more pressure to keep that alive heading into Saturday?
  • WrestleMania 38 was this past weekend and it featured a number of athletes who competed in MMA at the highest level, including former UFC champions [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] and [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag]. We have some fun with this one and take our picks who would do well crossing over from MMA into the world of pro wrestling and vice versa.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

[listicle id=2535608]

UFC 273 pre-event facts: Will Khamzat Chimaev remain untouchable?

Go inside the numbers for the loaded UFC 273 event where Khamzat Chimaev will attempt to build on his insane 254-2 strike differential.

After a week hiatus, the UFC returns Saturday to open its April schedule with UFC 273, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A championship doubleheader takes center stage atop the card. In the main event, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) is set to put his featherweight title on the line against [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC). The co-main event will see bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) meet interim champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in a unification bout rematch.

Several other ranked and notable fighters are scheduled to compete at UFC 273, as well, and for more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts.

Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres booked for UFC 273 on April 9

Ranked strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Tecia Torres will square off in a key matchup for the division.

Ranked strawweights are set to square off at UFC 273.

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on April 9 at the pay-per-view event that doesn’t have a venue or location announced.

MMA Junkie confirmed the bout with two people close to the situation. Torres announced Wednesday on Twitter that the fight was booked.

Dern will look to rebound from her unanimous decision loss to Marina Rodriguez in her first UFC headliner last October. Prior to that, the jiu-jitsu ace won four straight, three by first-round submission. Dern also has earned four bonuses in her past five fights.

[lawrence-related id=1927662]

Meanwhile, Torres is enjoying her best run in years. After dropping four straight bouts from 2018 through to 2019, Torres rebounded by winning three in a row, most recently defeating Angela Hill for a second time at UFC 265 in August.

With the addition, the April 9 UFC lineup includes:

  • Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung – for featherweight title
  • Champ Aljamain Sterling vs. interim champ Petr Yan – to unify bantamweight title
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
  • Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker

[vertical-gallery id=413983]

[vertical-gallery id=663807]

UFC 265 post-event facts: Ciryl Gane’s beatdown of Derrick Lewis sets record numbers

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 265, which saw Ciryl Gane make history with his interim title win over Derrick Lewis.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] produced the most statistically lopsided heavyweight title fight win in octagon history on Saturday in the UFC 265 main event.

Gane (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) punished [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) for nearly three full rounds en route to a third-round TKO that gave him interim belt and set up a title unification clash with Francis Ngannou.

For more on the numbers behind Gane’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 265.

UFC 265 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Five fighters get at least $21,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

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 265 took place at the Toyota Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 265 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Drako Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Anderson dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Johnny Munhoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamey Simmons[/autotag]: $4,000

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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,985,000
Program-to-date total: $2,985,000

UFC 265 results: Tecia Torres outstrikes Angela Hill to win rematch

Tecia Torres once again had her way with Angela Hill in their rematch at UFC 265.

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag] once again had her way with [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] in their rematch at UFC 265.

Torres (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) used a superior striking arsenal to significantly outland Hill (13-10 MMA, 8-10 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. “The Tiny Tornado’ also won the first meeting by decision at UFC 188 in June 2015, but used much more grappling in that fight.

The women’s strawweight bout was part of the UFC 265 main card at Toyota Center in Houston. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Hill came out early looking to fight from range and attack Torres with kicks. Torres tried to counter and burst inside the range with punch and kick combinations. Hill briefly got her down with a surprise sweep and tried to clinch, but she couldn’t make it effective. The output in the striking exchanges picked up in a big way down the stretch of the round, with both women having good success.

The second round began with Hill looking to walk Torres down. Torres stayed on the outside and used her diverse range of karate kicks while mixing in punches. The speed was a huge advantage for Torres, but Hill kept moving forward and was happy to take two or three to try to land one. Hill tried to mix it up by going back to the grappling, but she couldn’t make anything big happen.

After receiving encouragement from her corner to do something big in the third round, Hill tried to come out and make a final round charge. Torres remained sharp, though, and kept her foot on the gas pedal without making any critical mistakes to open herself up to a comeback. Torres secured a takedown late in the fight to put an exclamation point on her win on the scorecard.

Following her third straight win, Torres said she’s looking for a big name next at 115 pounds.

“I’m definitely one of the best strikers in the division,” Torres said in her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “Mick (Maynard), Dana (White), you guys know I want a top-five fight. I’m working my way to the top.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC 265 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=663034]

[vertical-gallery id=663036]

UFC 265: Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 265 odds and lines between Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a women’s strawweight bout on the main card, Angela Hill will face Tecia Torres at UFC 265 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Below, we analyze the UFC 265 Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET.

Hill and Torres will look to put on a show as the only women’s bout on the main event, a rematch long in the making since meeting at UFC 188.

Hill is coming off a March 13 win over Ashley Yoder. She had been riding a three-match win streak when she was defeated by Michelle Waterson and Claudia Gadelha in back-to-back bouts in 2020.

Torres is coming in as the favorite following a corner stoppage win over Sam Hughes Dec. 12. Ten of Torres’ 12 wins have been via decision, making this one likely to go the distance.

Both are strike-heavy fighters. Hill delivers more significant strikes per minute yet also struggles to defend herself.

UFC 265 Torres vs. Hill: Odds and lines

Odds via Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:36 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Tecia Torres -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | Angela Hill +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -450 | Under +320)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -333 | No +220)

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

UFC 265 Torres vs. Hill: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Records: Tecia Torres (12-5-0) | Angela Hill (13-9-0)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

BET on ANGELA HILL (+125) on the money line. She’s a gritty fighter that delivers damage.

Torres doesn’t have great defense, blocking just 62 percent of strikes thrown her way. With Hill being an aggressive fighter, averaging 5.66 significant strikes per minute, she should come out swinging.

Also, before her recent two-match win streak, Torres had lost four in a row. The odds are great to put a unit no Hill to win, especially as she has the better record in UFC appearances.

Over/Under (O/U)

“LEAN” to the UNDER 2.5 (+320) as the best value on the total. As noted, Hill is an aggressive fighter, and she has both reach and height on her side. In her 13 victories, five have been via knockout.

Nicknamed “Overkill,” there should be hope that she can get this one done before the third bell rings. The odds are there to put a small unit that someone will land a bout-winning strike before the judges have to make the call.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

Watch this matchup with ESPN+ by signing up here.

For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]

Video: UFC 265 press conference live stream with Derrick Lewis vs. Ciryl Gane (6 p.m. ET)

Watch the UFC 265 press conference live stream at 6 p.m. ET.

HOUSTON – You can watch Thursday’s UFC 265 news conference from Toyota Center in Houston on MMA Junkie at 6 p.m. ET.

UFC president Dana White hosts the event, which features headliners [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. They meet for the interim heavyweight title in the main event.

Additionally, main card fighters [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag], [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag], [autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag], [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] and [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] will be in attendance to answer questions from the media.

UFC 265 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Unwilling to repeat ‘worst fight in UFC history,’ Angela Hill vows excitement in Tecia Torres rematch

The boos from UFC 188 still haunt Angela Hill six years later.

HOUSTON – When [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] thinks about her first meeting against [autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag], she feels a level of disappointment.

The fight, which took place in June 2015 at UFC 188, was Hill’s third professional bout and her second with the UFC. She lost via unanimous decision.

“Don’t watch that fight,” Hill told MMA Junkie at a UFC 265 pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “It was the worst fight in UFC history. I hate that fight.”

The loss stings in Hill’s memory, but more so does the sound of the boos raining down from the fans in Mexico City. It’s one thing to lose, but to do so in lackluster fashion bugs Hill.

“I think the reason I have such a chip on my shoulder from it is because it was the first time I had ever gotten booed,” Hill said. “I pride myself with being an exciting fighter. Even when I lose, if it’s an exciting fight, I can find worth in that. Allowing Tecia to hold me down and make it a boring fight, I’m so mad at myself about that fight.”

Over the past six years, the promotion has tried to rebook Hill (13-9 MMA, 8-9 UFC) vs. Torres (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), but logistics and COVID-19 issues have interfered. At UFC 265 on Saturday, Hill and Torres will finally step into the cage against one another for the second time. Hill is ready to right the wrongs of years’ past.

“To be able to go back and work on things that I’ve worked really hard on, being the much better fighter on the ground, I feel like this is going to be a great fight to get that back,” Hill said. “It’ll take the weight off that loss. I’ll really show people that I’m really exciting no matter what fight.”

UFC 265 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

[listicle id=659083]

[vertical-gallery id=443299]