For Tecia Torres – who is ardently pursuing both a career in the UFC and a masters degree in criminology – life is a balancing act. “Monday through Wednesday I am in the gym twice; then I have school at night,” the 26-year-old fighter said, according to the Miami Herald. “Those days are hard. The other days are training and writing essays.”
And school doesn’t slow down just because her fight against Rose Namajunas (the co-main event) will air on Fox this weekend and is guaranteed to draw big numbers since pay-per-view prices aren’t hindering viewers. However, her professors are probably more impressed with her work ethic than her top 5 strawweight ranking – even if a win on Saturday means she is closer to getting a shot at the title. But despite the pressure she’s likely facing, she also has two essays due before this week’s weigh-in, and she’s using every bit of free time to make sure she doesn’t fall behind.
After graduating college in 2010, Torres participated in The Ultimate Fighter reality show and chose fighting over school – knowing full well that she’d eventually shoot for a masters degree. This year, she enrolled in school. “I think that I’m trying to capitalize on life beyond the UFC,” she said to Fox Sports. “You never know what’s going to happen and I know that fighting is not forever. So post-fighting I definitely want to have a career and I think a master’s degree will help much more than a bachelor’s degree.”