Miguel Torres may be the best fighter you’ve never seen.

At 37-1 in his professional mixed martial arts career, Torres is considered to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. But, it was only in the last two years that Torres has started to garner national recognition. Two years ago Torres debuted for World Extreme Cagefighting, and in a short time became the WEC Bantamweight (135-pound limit) champion with a first-round submission of then-champion, Chase Beebe, in September of 2007.

In his first title defense, Torres stole the show at WEC 34 in a three-round war with Yoshior Maeda and began to draw the attention of MMA fans worldwide. Now, as he is set for his fourth title defense on Aug. 9 against Brian Bowles in WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles on Versus at 9 p.m., Torres is looking for another exciting fight that will push him up the pound-for-pound rankings and make him an even bigger commodity in the world of MMA.

As Torres prepares for his latest fight, he took some time from training to speak with The Scores Report about Bowles, how he got started in MMA, and his feelings on Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The Scores Report: Miguel can you tell me a little about your opponent, Brian Bowles, and what you feel his strengths are?

Miguel Torres: Brian Bowles is a well-rounded opponent. I know that he has good wrestling ability, so he is going to be able to dictate where he wants to fight. He has good stand-up and a good ground game. I think overall he is a dangerous opponent but what I think he lacks is experience. He hasn’t been tested yet. He has done well against his past opponents but his past opponents don’t impress me at all. The guys that he has knocked out have no stand-up ability either attacking or defense and the guys he has submitted have taken really sloppy shots on him. I think the fight is going to be a good fight, I think it is going to be exciting, and I am ready for a war.

TSR: With a 17-fight winning streak coming into this fight, how do you keep yourself motivated for each new opponent?

MT: Each fight is a new challenge and a new test. I get to challenge myself against a better opponent each time. I don’t even look it as a 17-fight winning streak. I don’t think about it that way. Each fight is an individual moment in time that I get to get out there and show what I am made of. I look at each fight as a new way to express myself. I consider myself a martial artist and each fight I get to go out and showcase my art.

TSR: Your only loss came in 2003. How much did that loss help shape you as the fighter you are now and how much of a different fighter are you now since then?

MT: That one loss I had redefined my whole career. It made me train and think completely differently about the fight game. People who compete at this level and who are champions, losing makes them a better person. That is the difference between fighters and mixed martial artists. A mixed martial artist loses and gets better from his loss. Fighters lose their fights and they get scared and they get nervous. That loss redefined the way I train and put me in a different mindset. It made me the fighter I am today.

TSR: Your fight with Yoshiro Maeda seemed to really steal the show at WEC 34 and put you in the national spotlight. Is that the one fight that you think really started to garner you national attention?

MT: I think my fight with Beebe put me up there and got my name out there. Beebe was a really good fighter at the time and was a big win for me. Then I fought Yoshiro and I think that fight put me out there for sure. It was a back-and-forth battle and it was one of those fights that you didn’t know who was going to win the fight until the fight was over.

TSR: How has your life changed since that time now that you are a nationally recognized fighter?

MT: The biggest thing that has changed is the number of interviews I do. I have done a lot of interviews lately and people seem to care more about what I say now. I have even started to get personal emails from fans and people who are haters, so that is pretty cool that people care enough to want to get in touch with me.

TSR: There isn’t a pound-for-pound top 10 list these days without you on it. What does that mean to you and where do you see yourself in those rankings?

MT: It really doesn’t mean much to me. I think people who rank pound-for-pound haven’t really even seen what I can do yet. I have only had a few fights on television and I think in a few years people will really be able to see what I can do out there. I think as I continue to fight tougher opponents, people will be able to see what I can do. I fight in the WEC because the WEC has the best lighter-weight fighters in the world and I want people to be able to see what I can do. For me, pound-for-pound, I think the best fighters in the world are (Georges) St. Pierre, B.J. Penn, Fedor (Emelianenko), Anderson Silva, (Lyoto) Machida. I would rank my skills with those guys, but opponent-wise, I haven’t faced the opponents they have faced yet in terms of experience and skills.

TSR: What kind of diet and commitment does it take to remain a bantamweight fighter?

MT: I pretty much eat whatever I want. Last night I had a steak with some rice and potatoes. Then I had a bowl of soup with five tortillas and a bowl of watermelon and a whole basket of strawberries. So, I pretty much eat what I want. I eat healthy and I eat bad at the same time. If I feel I want a Whopper meal from Burger King, I will grab one. I really don’t have to cut weight before I fight. I know guys that have to cut down to get to 135 before the fight and they eat like a grape a day before the fight and that kills them. I feel like if I train hard then I can eat what I want and not put on a lot of weight and not lose the energy I need.

TSR: A lot of people feel you are a fighter that can compete at higher weight classes because of your talent. Is that something you would like to explore?

MT: I would like to in the future, but I know that 135 is my home. There are big things that I want to do with this weight class and I want to make this weight class popular. I don’t think I should have to move up in weight to be popular. I think I can make this weight class popular on its own.

TSR: Can you tell me how you first got started in MMA?

MT: I was 16, going on 17 and I started training at a local gym in a guy’s garage. I started training with him and it was pretty rough. They had no mats, it was a concrete floor, and there were oil pans in the corners of the rooms and the garage door had broken windows on it. I showed up and they had boxing gloves for me to start sparring and the guy didn’t like the way I was sparring so he picked me up and slammed me to the floor and choked me with my t-shirt. I didn’t know what tapping out was then, so I passed out. When I came to, the guy explained to me that that was jiu jitsu. I wasn’t angry at him, I just watched and listened to what he was trying to do and I haven’t looked back since.

TSR: As you grew up and evolved with the sport, who are some of the guys you looked up to and modeled your early career after?

MT: Early on it was Royce Gracie because he was beating guys that were a lot bigger than him with his jiu jitsu and his technique and skill. After Royce, it was B.J. Penn. When B.J. came on the scene he was tearing things up. But, there was a lot of fighters out there I liked. Caol Uno, (Frank) Shamrock, so there was a lot of fighters that I wanted to model myself after.

TSR: With all that you have accomplished, what are some goals you still have for yourself?

MT: I want to dominate my weight class. I want to make a legacy. I want to make 135 so popular that guys aren’t trying to put weight on and move to bigger weight classes. I want guys to have a home at 135. I want to earn respect for the lighter-weight fighters. I think it is important because a lot of American fans think that talent in fighting belongs in the heavyweight classes and I think it is the opposite. I think the lighter weight classes have the most talented fighters out there. I know a lot of guys that help me train that have a lot more heart than some of the bigger guys out there and we deserve some recognition.

TSR: You recently spoke out about Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s take on MMA where he called mixed martial artists “beer drinkers” and said the reason MMA is popular is because there is nobody white in boxing that is dominating the sport. Do you feel that high-profile boxers are downgrading MMA because of the success it is having right now?

MT: I think they are intimidated for sure. A lot of these boxers like Mayweather make these huge pay days and I think a lot of their fans are switching over to MMA now. I think the future looks bright for MMA and it doesn’t look bright for boxing. Plus, he’s broke right now, so he is just trying to get attention. I don’t hate Mayweather, I just don’t like the way he disrespects mixed martial arts. I have never put down any boxers. I know it is a tough sport. I train boxing a lot. I am not saying boxing is easy whatsoever. But, you can’t compare boxing and MMA. It is like comparing apples and oranges. If you put a boxer in against a mixed martial artist, a mixed martial artist is going to win nine times out of 10.

TSR: You recently did some broadcasting work for ESPN’s MMA Live during UFC 100. Is that something you would like to pursue after your fighting career is over?

MT: For sure, that was a lot of fun. I have done a couple shows with them already and they expressed interest in me working with them in the future. I think when I retire that would be something I definitely want to get into. I will never leave the sport. When I stop fighting, I will get into some other aspect of MMA whether it is coaching or managing fighter or broadcasting.

TSR: You threw out the first pitch for Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle’s perfect game. What was that experience like and did you interact with him at all before the game?

MT: It was a great experience for me. I got to meet the team and talk to all the players. I threw out the pitch and did a lot of media afterwards. I actually had to leave in the fifth inning to go train at the gym and when I got back, my teammates were giving me a hard time because he was still going for his perfect game and they couldn’t believe I left in the middle of it.

TSR: Is it hard to believe that is something you would be asked to do?

MT: Yeah it was pretty surreal. The first time they asked me, I thought it was a joke. But, my PR guy told me they were serious and they wanted me to throw out the first pitch. So, I was supposed to do it before, but the game got rained out and I thought that would be it, but they asked me back. It was a great honor to do something like, especially in my hometown.

TSR: And finally, is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

MT: Thanks for all your support. When I go out and I fight, I fight for my fans. I will never go out and fight not to lose, I will always fight to win, whatever that may entails. I will always do what I have to to win.

TSR: Well Miguel, thanks for your time and best of luck in your upcoming fight on August 9.

MT: Thank you very much.