Sherdog Prospect Watch: Manuel Roberto Torres

The Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division on Saturday will see the debut of its latest addition: Manuel Roberto Torres. Nicknamed “El Loco,” he fights out of Chihuahua, Mexico, and draws his first Octagon assignment against Frank Camacho at UFC on ESPN 36 in Las Vegas. Torres, 27, sports a 12-2 record and has gone the distance only once in his 14-fight career. The Entram Gym representative’s opposition thus far carries a .589 cumulative winning percentage (86-60-2).

A Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, Torres carries an uncommon killer instinct that allows him to target his opponent’s weak spots until he authors a stoppage. He delivered his quickest finish in just 12 seconds when he cut down Andres Baca with a liver kick at Red Cage 5 in June 2016. The Mexican prospect is as vicious on the canvas as he is on the feet, as evidenced by the fact that he has secured six of his 12 victories by submission. Torres favors the rear-naked choke.


Torres’ journey to the Octagon began eight years ago, when he made his professional debut at World Best Gladiators 2. He spent most of his career in his native Mexico, where he faced all kinds of competition. Torres’ most impressive victory on the regional scene was a first-round submission of Adonilton Matos at Beat Down MMA 3 that brought him the promotion’s featherweight championship. Still, he followed the win with subpar performances against Mahatma Chit-Bala Garcia Avalos and Carlos Calvo Calvo that resulted in the only two defeats on his resume. Torres has since bounced back with a three-fight winning streak that covers a total cage time of 3:38. After submitting Danie Vega with a rear-naked choke in 63 seconds under the RRR Promotions banner in March 2020, Torres outdid himself by forcing Carlos Enrique Canada to tap to a standing guillotine choke a mere 25 seconds into their Ultimate Warrior Challenge 27 pairing on June 11, 2021.


The quick submission victories caught the attention of UFC President Dana White, who offered Torres the chance to compete for a UFC contract against Kolton Englund in October. Torres dictated the terms of their DWCS engagement thanks to a sharp jab, which led to a bloody nose for his counterpart. The most significant moment of the match followed a grappling exchange against the fence. As Torres disengaged and pushed away his opponent, Englund complained about an eye poke that referee Herb Dean did not see. He capitalized on the opportunity and landed with heavy punches that dropped Englund where he stood. Torres followed with elbows until “The White Assassin” could no longer intelligently defend himself.