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Jose “Shorty” Torres aims to honor his Latino heritage at BRAVE CF 73
Jul 26, 2023
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BRAVE CF 73 will be a symbolic moment for USA’s Jose “Shorty” Torres. Not only will the star get a shot at the vacant BRAVE CF Bantamweight title, but he too will have the chance to celebrate his Latino heritage along with BRAVE Combat Federation as the brand prepares to make history next month by rolling out the very first Pan-American Combat Week in Bogota, Colombia - the largest combat sports festival in Latin America.Torres and South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele will throw down in the main event of BRAVE CF 73 on August 12.
The lead-up to that show will see most-global MMA brand reconnect with its Latin fighters and fans as BRAVE CF - in partnership with IMMAF, the Colombian Association of Mixed Martial Arts (OCAMM), and the Latin Fighter Championship (LFC), puts on a spectacular show from August 8 to 12, highlighting the most exciting amateur talent from North, Central, and South America at the Pan-American Combat Week, before professionals from around the world step into the BRAVE CF cage to compete for honors at BRAVE CF 73.
BRAVE CF holds a special place in the heart of Colombia and Latin America, as it remains the only global MMA brand to host shows in the South American nation after launching BRAVE CF 15 and BRAVE CF 26 in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
A trip to Latin America will also stir up some strong emotions for Torres, a fighter born of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent set to compete in his biggest fight yet. Growing up in a Latino neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Torres was often exposed to adversity and danger. With his father being a prominent figure in the notorious Harrison Gents of Chicago gang and his older brother, Orlando, often involved in wrongdoings, "Shorty" was not always around the most clean-cut male figures. But the wise youngster learned from his brother’s mistakes and chose to take a different path in life. With the guidance of his mom, Torres then signed up for Shotokan Karate at the tender age of four years old. There, he developed a warm relationship with his very first Sensei. Two weeks later, that same Sensei said her goodbyes to the gym due to her battle with cancer before passing away shortly after - a reality unbeknown to Torres at the time. Before leaving the gym, his Sensei asked that Torres promise to commit to Karate until he earned his black belt. The young student honored his word and earned his black belt years later. By 14 years old, the martial arts bug had sunk its teeth deep into Torres, and he was hungry to learn more. He then transitioned to Combat-Do, which played a huge role in teaching Torres about “real life situations” as it simulated real-time fighting over Karate’s “point fighting” system.
Under his new teacher, Master Bob Schirmer, “Shorty” was exposed to a number of martial arts: Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet-Kune-Do, Boxing, Kickboxing, Pankration, San Shou, Muay Thai, K1, Wrestling, before debuting as an amateur mixed martial artist where he thrived under the IMMAF banner becoming the first two-time IMMAF amateur world champion.
Shortly after winning his second world title, Torres graduated from college. By that time, he had caught the eye of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who invited him to become part of the first-generation KHK Team Bahrain alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar, Pete Williams, Islam Makhachev, Hamza Kooheji, Eldar Eldarov, and James Gallagher, to name a few. At the age of 23 years old, Torres turned professional. While shifting between USA and Bahrain, he became a two-division (Flyweight and Bantamweight) in one of the USA’s most popular regional promotions. In 2019, Torres debuted in BRAVE CF - making a splash against Amir Albazi at BRAVE CF 23.
Following the unfortunate coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, Torress would only return to the BRAVE CF cage at BRAVE CF 42, where he would face compatriot Sean Santella.
It was a heartfelt moment for Torres as it would be the first time he would compete, post his father’s passing in 2019. While Torres’ father was a respected and feared man on the streets of Chicago, he was also a fan of his son’s fighting and later became one of his biggest supporters. The fight with Santella eventually ended in a draw but was remembered as a beautiful night as Torres paid tribute to his father - known as “Lil Shorty G” by walking out in the Harrison Gents of Chicago colors of purple and black.
Torres then battled with weight issues, and after his win over Ireland’s Blaine O’Driscoll, he moved up to Bantamweight. His dominant win over the dangerous Izzeddine Al Derbani proved that the BRAVE CF Bantamweight division had a new contender, and he now has the chance to stake his claim at the throne when he meets Ndebele in the main event of BRAVE CF 73.
Torres often speaks glowingly of the morals martial arts exposed him to. He says choosing martial arts over a life of crime changed him and allowed him to achieve things beyond his wildest dreams. ''I always thank His Highness because my life could've been different without him. He allowed me to only focus on training and getting better. I'm extremely happy to have had the opportunities I've had and will have. It's crazy to think about how far I've come,” says Torres - who recently created a Team Shorty Foundation as he aims to give back to his people in the Latino community that has been swept by gangsterism. “I never expected to be alive at 30, let alone have gone this far, and now headlining the biggest event in Colombia's history, that's amazing,'' concluded Torres, who has even started brushing up on his Spanish, as he aims to immerse himself more in the Latino culture ahead of BRAVE CF 73.
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