EXCLUSIVE: Shorty Torres Explains Why He Is Blocked By UFC Matchmaker

Jose Torres is blocked by the man who he needs to sign him to UFC. 

Titan FC's two division champion Jose "Shorty" Torres wants in the UFC like nearly every mixed-martial-artist but he has created a new obstacle for himself. On Fightful MMA's podcast Holy Smokes, Torres revealed how he was blocked by UFC Matchmaker Mick Maynard on social media. Torres makes a habit of campaigning on social media for a UFC contract, but one tweet in particular was the catalyst for Maynard's block. 

"I get annoyed at times where I like to tag people, for example Mick Maynard, Sean Shelby, Dana White, the guys I need to sign me. I made a call-out where it was the biggest tweet I ever had and the biggest response, where I said 'I hadn't received a call yet from the UFC. Given when I was stating it, I was saying 'I hadn't received a call-up,'" said Torres.

This November was the time Torres said he wanted to be in UFC. He said his hand is healed and he already has two teammates competing on the UFC 217 card on November 4th. But, Torres' tweet ended up being inaccurate and prompted the block from Maynard. 

"But, Mick Maynard called me and he took offense to it because he called me three times for the contender series. It was all when I was injured. We made it clear 'hey man we can't take the fight.' He did try to give me the shout out and try to call me," said Torres. "There was an apology about that. But, because of that he immediately blocked me on social media…The guy I need to sign me to the UFC has blocked me," he added. 

Torres claimed Maynard "just does not like to be tagged in stuff." He said the situation between he and Maynard was lighthearted. Torres remained adamant he would be in UFC soon and he would bring the excitement he believes the Flyweight division needs.  

The contender series Torres spoke about being called for is Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. Maynard has been on the show alongside Dana White watching the fights where some of the competitors receive a UFC contract. Titan FC fighters have appeared on the show a few times. 

Torres last fought in May when he won the Titan FC Flyweight Championship. Earlier this year, he won the Titan FC Bantamweight Championship after holding the interim title for a few months. He is an undefeated fighter and in his own words he 'did what Conor McGregor did in Cage Warriors" but three times faster. 

Also in the interview, Torres discussed George St-Pierre's return to UFC, McGregor versus Mayweather, and his teammate T.J. Dillashaw's upcoming championship bout. At the end of the interview, Torres brought up UFC 217 again, the card which has his teammates Dillashaw and Curtis Blaydes featured. Torres said it would make financial sense for him to be on the same card as fighters from his fight camp. 

The rest of the interview can be seen on Fightful MMA's podcast Holy Smokes, which features interviews from fighters and mixed-martial-arts personalities each week on Tuesday.