Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela reasserted himself in a division better suited to his skills on Saturday night, closing out a decisive win that restores his lane without excessive drama.
In the Feb. 1 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Valenzuela earned a ten-round unanimous decision over fellow Mexican Diego Torres Nunez, sweeping the scorecards 99-91 across the board. The bout headlined Zuffa Boxing 02 on Paramount+ and marked Valenzuela’s first appearance at lightweight after a tough stretch at 140 pounds.
The opening rounds were competitive. Torres applied pressure and landed heavier individual shots, especially early, as Valenzuela worked to establish rhythm and distance. A left hand in the fourth round opened up a cut and created a brief pause in momentum, drawing attention inside the arena without changing the direction of the fight.
As the fight moved past the midpoint, the exchanges became less frequent. Valenzuela spent more time at range, while Torres continued to push forward without finding the same openings seen early on. The battle has shifted to longer stretches of positioning rather than sustained trading.
Torres remained active but was unable to change the shape of the competition. Valenzuela allowed the rounds to pass without forcing exchanges or chasing a stoppage. No takedowns were scored, and the separation came through accumulated rounds rather than single moments.
The judges returned identical scores of 99-91 in favor of Valenzuela, a margin that reflected the latter half of the fight more than the opening exchanges. The cards left little ambiguity as to how the fight was viewed from the first place.
The win moves Jose Rayo Valenzuela to 15-3 with 9 knockouts and provides a clear result in his lightweight debut. After losing his WBA title and dropping a decision in his previous run, this performance showed a fighter operating within his limits rather than against them. Torres falls to 22-2 with 19 knockouts, and while his power remains a factor, it wasn’t enough to change the direction of the fight once it concluded.
For Valenzuela, lightweight offered clearer terms and fewer complications. He stayed within them, and the scorecards reflected that.
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Last updated on 02/01/2026
