Brave CF bantamweight Jose Torres is looking to make a statement when he steps into the cage to face South African contender Nkosi “The Future” Ndebele at Brave CF 70 on April 23.
Torres has his sights set on the top of the Brave CF bantamweight division, and sees a decisive finish of Ndebele as the perfect way to catapult himself into a title shot in his next outing.
Torres has been prepping for his fight at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, and said he’s ready to deliver a finish when he faces Ndebele in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
“Nkosi is a good fighter. He is taller and longer than me. He likes to fight at a distance. He seems very, very strong, and it is evident through his takedown defense. He can be very aggressive while walking forward,” he said.
“My gameplan is pretty simple. I have to put him on his heels and ensure his back is always towards the fence. Even though I feel that I can stand and bang with him, I need to be cautious of his ability to throw long, powerful shots from a distance.
“I believe Nkosi is going to move around a lot. He won’t have a choice but to circle. If he does not circle, it will allow me to close the distance much easier before I either use my body locks to tie him down or possibly counter-strike, which can also lead to a level-change takedown.”
Torres is comfortable wherever the fight goes, but said the biggest skill discrepancy will be on the ground, where he thinks he’ll have the clear edge over his South African opponent.
“I have to keep myself accountable until I get him to the ground,” he explained.
“He does not like to stay on the canvas, and Nkosi will fight hard to get back up. Can I keep him down? Will he leave himself open to submissions or even ground and pound? If he does get back up, how many times will he be able to do that before he can’t anymore? Nkosi is going to tire, and I will take advantage of that. I can’t predict the result, but I will finish Nkosi Ndebele.”
Torres knows he’s facing a stern test in Ndebele. “The Future” is riding a five-fight win streak, but “Shorty” said talk of the South African’s good form needs to be tempered with the level of opponents he faced during that run.
“Nkosi has looked great against other good fighters, but, I think when you take the next step up in competition against someone like myself, it’s a make-or-break moment for him,” he said.
”Is he going to shine? Will he show me that he is a great fighter, not just a good one? Maybe I put him in his place and go ‘Hey man…you’re good, and you might be great one day, but you will always be behind me as long as I am around.’”
The matchup will take place at Brave CF 70 in Ljubljana, Slovenia on April 23. The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Bosnia’s Erko Jun and Slovenian fan-favorite Marko Drmonjic.