Rivalries: Tecia Torres

Time may be of the essence for Tecia Torres.

Now 32 years of age and likely on the backside of her competitive prime, “The Tiny Tornado” will confront 2005 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Mackenzie Dern as part of the UFC 273 main draw on Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial in Jacksonville, Florida. Torres now finds herself on a three-fight winning streak inside the cutthroat Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division. She carries a 9-5 record in the UFC.

As Torres makes final preparations ahead of her forthcoming showdown with Dern at 115 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have shaped her career:

Rose Namajunas

“Thug Rose” took another step forward in her development when she posted a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Torres in the UFC on Fox 19 co-feature on April 16, 2016 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Namajunas, who avenged a 2013 defeat to “The Tiny Tornado” under the Invicta Fighting Championships flag. Torres beat “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finalist to the punch in the first round—she clipped her with a left hook in the clinch that buckled her knees—but could not sustain her momentum. Namajunas established herself in the second, where she stood up the American Top Team export with stiff punches upstairs and struck effectively in combination. A hotly contested third round saw Torres turn to leg kicks while Namajunas landed the cleaner shots and mixed in a tactical takedown in the final minute, currying the necessary favor on the scorecards.

Michelle Waterson

Torres won for the third time in as many appearances when she captured a unanimous decision from “The Karate Hottie” in a UFC 218 women’s strawweight showcase Dec. 2, 2017 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Waterson struggled to keep the fight at a desired distance, especially in the first and third rounds. Torres overwhelmed her at times with output, swarming on her with punches. Her efforts resulted in significant swelling to Waterson’s left eye. Even so, she dumped Torres to the mat with a head-and-arm throw in the middle stanza and spent substantial time in top position. However, Torres responded down the stretch, bullying the Jackson-Wink MMA representative in the clinch for much of the third round before climbing to the back, chewing up clock and nearly finishing it with ground-and-pound.