Miguel Torres vs. Brad Pickett in the Works for UFC 130

A bantamweight match between former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and Brad Pickett is in the works for UFC 130 on May 28 in Las Vegas.

Torres (39-3, 1-0 UFC) is coming off of a unanimous-decision victory over Antonio Banuelos at UFC 126 where he primarily used a crisp jab to keep his smaller opponent at bay.

Pickett (20-5, 0-0 UFC) will make his UFC debut after a 3-1 run in the WEC. After losing a decision to Scotty Jorgensen in Fight-of-the-Night fashion, Pickett rebounded to earn a unanimous decision over Ivan Menjivar at WEC 53 last December.

Torres last three fights:
Win (Unanimous Decision) Antonio Banuelos - UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort (02/05/2011)
Win (Submission - Rear-Naked Choke) Charlie Valencia - WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan (09/30/2010)
Loss (Submission - Guillotine Choke) Joseph Benavidez - WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz (03/06/2010)

Pickett last three fights:
Win (Unanimous Decision) Ivan Menjivar - WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis (12/16/2010)
Loss (Unanimous Decision) Scotty Jorgensen - WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 (08/18/2010)
Win (Unanimous Decision) Demetrious Johnson - WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber (04/24/2010)

Props: Heavy.com

Fresh Faces: UFC 126 Edition part I

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The WEC/UFC merger has caused a huge injection of talent into the UFC. With a staggering seven fighters making their UFC debuts at UFC 126 -- including five former WEC fighters -- we have divided up this edition of "Fresh Faces" into two parts. First up, meet the four bantamweights making their debuts this Saturday, then check back tomorrow for part II!

Name: Miguel Torres

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Antonio Banuelos

Record: 38-3 (9 (T)KOs, 23 submissions) mainly in the WEC

Recent body of work: Submitted Charlie Valencia by rear-naked choke at WEC 51 last September

Who he is: The former WEC bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres was once considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. A decision win over Takeya Mizugaki ran Torres' record to a staggering 37-1, and fans were clamoring for a superfight against featherweight Urijah Faber. Torres would soon fall on hard times, though, losing his title to Brian Bowles via first-round KO, then getting submitted by Joseph Benavidez in his return bout seven months later. Suddenly, fans and pundits alike were questioning whether or not Torres' record --which included a 32-1 mark outside of the WEC against mostly unknown competition -- was really smoke and mirrors. After changing his training partners and fight preparation, Torres stormed back at WEC 51 to dominate Charlie Valencia on the feet before finishing him on the ground in the second round. Back on the winning track, Torres will look to use his UFC debut to take another step towards regaining his title.

Name: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Demetrious Johnson

Record: 18-3 (1NC) (13 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) mainly for Shooto, K-1 and DREAM

Recent body of work: Made his bantamweight debut at DREAM 14 last May, defeating Federico Lopez by KO in the first round

Who he is: A star in his native Japan, "Kid" Yamamoto has built a reputation on his aggressive style, highlighted by his four-second knockout of Kazuyuki Miyata in 2006. The former 2005 K-1 Middleweight Grand Prix winner dropped to bantamweight after losing two straight decisions and rebounded with a first-round knockout of Federico Lopez last May.

Name: Demetrious Johnson

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

Record: 8-1 (2 (T)KOs, 5 submissions) for the WEC and various regional promotions

Recent body of work: Submitted Damacio Page by guillotine choke at WEC 52 last November

Who he is: Johnson raised eyebrows with his dominant performance over former top-ten fighter Damacio Page at WEC 52. Standing at just 5'3'', Johnson clocks in at the shorter end of the bantamweight spectrum, but his cardio and wrestling base have helped him succeed against taller opponents. "Mighty Mouse" has won two straight fights since suffering his first career loss at the hands of Brad Pickett.

Name: Antonio Banuelos

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Miguel Torres

Record: 18-6 (7 (T)KOs, 1 submission) mainly in the WEC

Recent body of work: Defeated Chad George by unanimous decision at WEC 51 last September

Who he is: A ten-year veteran of the sport,  Banuelos has spent the majority of his career --14 fights -- in the WEC. Banuelos is 4-1 in his last five bouts, with his only loss coming to former number-one contender Scotty Jorgensen.

Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos in the works for UFC 126

A bout between former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos is in the works for UFC 126 on Feb. 5.

Torres (38-3, 6-2 WEC) rebounded from two straight losses - the first time he had lost two straight in his career - with a dominant victory over Charlie Valencia at WEC 51. In that bout, Torres bested Valencia on the feet before eventually locking in a rear-naked choke, earning him Submission of the Night honors.

Banuelos (18-6, 9-5 WEC) also rebounded from a loss at WEC 51, defeating Chad George by unanimous decision.

Torres last three fights:
Win (Submission - Rear-Naked Choke) Charlie Valencia - WEC 51
Loss (Submission - Guillotine Choke) Joseph Benavidez - WEC 47
Loss (KO - Punches) Brian Bowles - WEC 42

Banuelos last three fights:
Win (Unanimous Decision) Chad George - WEC 51
Loss (Unanimous Decision) Scott Jorgensen - WEC 48
Win (Unanimous Decision) Kenji Osawa - WEC 44

Props: Heavy.com