2009 Bloody Elbow Reader Awards: Upset of the Year
by Mike Fagan on Jan 16, 2010 4:31 PM EST
in MMA News
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Of the nominated fights, Brian Bowles's knockout of Miguel Torres wasn't the biggest upset from a gambling perspective (that would belong to Mackens Semerzier's triangle from hell on Wagnney Fabiano). When Bowles gave Torres's face an intimate introduction to the canvas, he ended six years of long lasting dominance and a derailed a trip on the Superstar Express.
Torres entered the fight with a 37-1 record (and he avenged the loss - a decision - by submission), a seventeen fight win streak, and four straight title fight victories. The WEC had begun to hitch their bantamweight wagon on Torres like they had done with his California counterpart Urijah Faber. And with a fighting style to match his Mexican heritage, Torres was a budding MMA superstar.
Bowles may have been underrepresented in pre-fight pundit picks, but no one understated his threat to the champ. A big 135er, Bowles 7-0 record included an impressive run through the WEC's bantamweight class, including wins over Will Ribeiro and Damacio Page. But could a fighter with less than ten fights on his ledger take down a 38-fight monolith?
If Torres intimidated Bowles, the challenger showed no signs of fear. After a cool and collected staredown, Bowles came out of his corner with the patient presence of a fighter with four times as many fights.
Just a minute in, Torres felt the power of the challenger, getting clipped and stumbling into the fence before regaining his composure. After a short interlude on the ground, Bowles and Torres slowed the pace down standing until Torres landed a right-left combo that got the attention of the challenger. Torres pushed ahead with strikes, sensing an opportunity.
Then Bowles landed a huge right cross that put the champ on his ass.
Torres had enough sense in his head to get into guard, but Bowles had even more sense to drop a Zeppelin on Torres's head. Miguel's eyes decided it was a good time to admire the rafters; and, after a few more shots for good measure, the referee was forced to step in and stop the bout.
The reality of the upset sunk in when we heard Frank Mir's my-puppy-just-died analysis of the final moments.
Full results after the break.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total | |
| Bowles vs. Torres | 11 | 15 | 3 | 103 |
| Warren vs. Yamamoto | 12 | 8 | 5 | 89 |
| Rogers vs. Arlovski | 11 | 7 | 9 | 85 |
| Sermerzier vs. Fabiano | 8 | 3 | 6 | 55 |
| Mercer vs. Sylvia | 6 | 5 | 5 | 50 |
| Thiago vs. Koscheck | 5 | 4 | 8 | 45 |
| Coleman vs. Bonnar | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 |
| Smith vs. Le | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Kanehara vs. Yamamoto | 3 | |||
| Slice vs. Alexander | 3 |
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In hindsight it would definitely seem so. But at the Torres had been built up to be top PFP and basically unbeatable. He is great, but with his wrestling weakness it would not suprise me to see him lose to Bowles again.
by Anton Chigurh on Jan 16, 2010 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
How? It utterly derailed Fabiano’s hopes for a WEC belt, when at the time people were complaining about how he was being passed over.
by George Lucas on Jan 16, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
HardCore Gym has put out solid fighters. Forrest, now Bowles. Hell, Rory Singer wasn’t horrible in the UFC. I think the recent upgrade of their facilities in Athens really makes them one of the premiere ATT affiliates
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
This was not an upset. The #2 ranked fighter beat the #1 ranked fighter.
by Timmy B on Jan 16, 2010 1:47 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
When I get home, I’ll rec this for stupidity.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Jan 16, 2010 1:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It’s an upset but compared to Warren/Yamamoto? Come on.
by George Lucas on Jan 16, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Hey, I’m not arguing the merits of the upsets. But to say Bowles/Torres isn’t an upset and then support that with “#2 beat #1” is quite the exercise in futility.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
I should have said… “This was not an upset of the year”.
The guy beat somebody ranked 1 slot above him in the rankings. How that gets upset of the year is beyond me…
So if Florian had beaten BJ that wouldn’t have been a candidate either?
by ufc4 on Jan 16, 2010 5:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
What people seem to be forgetting was Torres was in most top 5 P4P lists. It wasn’t that a number 2 beat a number 1. Torres had an aura of invincibility at the time.
No he didn’t.
Prior to the Bowles fight, he came very close to losing to Mizugaki. If anyone had an aura of invincibility going into that fight, it was Bowles, who hadn’t struggled ever.
by George Lucas on Jan 16, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
True, the fighters he’s beaten are much better than the ones Torres has beaten.
by George Lucas on Jan 16, 2010 9:32 PM EST up reply actions
Torres’ last 4 opponents’ WEC records:
Mizugaki 1-2
Tapia 2-3
Maeda 1-2
Beebe 2-2
Bowles’ opponents:
Ribeiro 1-1 (win was over Beebe)
Page 3-1
Galvao 0-2 (2nd loss to Page)
Valencia 5-3
Shocking, I know.
by George Lucas on Jan 17, 2010 1:34 AM EST up reply actions
What’s shocking is that you think you’re proving anything with that statement.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
Which of Torres’ previous 4 opponents would you say is better than Damacio Page or Galvao? Do you think Tapia or Beebe could beat Valencia? Do you think Maeda or Mizugaki could beat Ribeiro?
by George Lucas on Jan 17, 2010 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
Beer Monster made the assertion that Bowles’ competition was somehow worse than Torres’. If you’re unwilling to accept the fact that Torres’ opponents have worse WEC records, then you should be prepared to explain exactly where you think Bowles’ competition is lacking by comparison.
by George Lucas on Jan 17, 2010 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
Getting close to KOed is not the same as getting close to losing a decision.
by George Lucas on Jan 17, 2010 11:17 PM EST up reply actions
maybe because he hadn't lost in 17 fights and was 37-1?
I dunno just the first reason that springs to mind
torres only problem i see is he likes to prove
he can beat his opponent with his skills going against the other guy’s best discipline. if the guy has a great ground game he will want him to beat him on the ground and if he is a great stand up fighter he will want to strike with this person to prove a point. i think his tactics will be different when he fights bowles again.
i'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. i was building a house, i don't deserve this, deserves have nothing to do with it. bang. "unforgiven"
by wolfmanshowlforever on Jan 16, 2010 4:47 PM EST reply actions
I agree that Torres has fought people at their strength when maybe he could have worked them on the ground. But with a strong guy like Bowles that surely has better wrestling than Miguel, I think it will end up being another stand up fight.
by Anton Chigurh on Jan 16, 2010 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
You guys are seriously crazy
This result was shocking. I remember this occurred the same weekend as Bj/Florian and Anderson/Forrest, and the consensus was that of three underdogs Bowles offered the least risk. Torres supposedly had the best jab, fighters spirit, and bjj in the WEC. NOBODY gave Bowles a chance. Plus it was the face of the org getting taken down.
The man know simply as "Christmas Cheesesteak"
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