Ronys Torres’ career has taken him all over the world. Just 32, Torres (37-6), whose fight resume includes a UFC stint, has seen and done it all.

Except for winning $1 million. That, Torres has a chance to rectify. He’s part of the PFL 2019 lightweight season, and he’ll kick off with a tall task on Thursday night, as he faces Ramsey Nijem in his first regular-season matchup at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

MMA Junkie recently caught up with Torres to talk about the fight, the season and a whole lot more. 

Can you recap your career up to now?

I’m very happy to be fighting in the U.S. again. It was never my choice not to be fighting there. Just the opposite. The biggest and best organizations are American. I simply hadn’t received any invitations. After I left the UFC, I fought in various other promotions. I ended up fighting in places like Portugal, Spain, China, and South Korea. Now we’re coming back to America. I hope to be victorious in my return. I’ve been training very hard to show up at 100 percent and have a great win in the PFL. It’s a grand prix, so I’m giving all I have.

The final battle now is against the weight. I’m much more experienced than when I fought in the UFC or in the WSOF. I have a new mindset. I’m a new athlete. I’ve fought 49 times. I have 43 wins to 6 losses. Some of my early wins in Manacapuru (state of Amazonas, Brazil) aren’t on my record. But even with those missing bouts, you can see my level of experience.

What can you say about your next opponent, Ramsey Nijem?

He’s truly tough. He goes for knockouts. He’s got heavy hands. I think that when he tries to go for a KO, I should be able to get him down and work on my ground game. Although, nowadays, fights are mostly won on strategy. So, he may not rush me, to avoid going to the ground. I’ve watched his videos. He’s good on the mat, too. He fights hard with a lot of heart. He never quits. I think everything is in place for a great fight. We’re both coming off wins now. I’m sure he’s also studying me. It’s going to be great. The real winners will be the fans.

How’s your preparation going?

It was actually hard to find his videos. I couldn’t find his last fight in the PFL. In the PFL, I only found the one where he got KO’d (by Brian Foster). I was also able to find his UFC fights. I’m training at Nova Uniao under coach ‘Dede’ Pederneiras. My training partners are Leonardo Santos, Jose Aldo, Marlon Sandro, Hacran Dias, Giovanni Diniz, and several others. I’ve been training hard on my standup and takedowns, but the goal is always to fight in my comfort area, which is the ground. 

Plans for the future?

I’m already booked for two fights. After the one in May, I’m already scheduled to fight in the PFL in July. After the points are added up, we’ll see if I get into the tournament quarterfinals. My plan is to keep winning in the PFL so I can make it to the grand finale, so I can capture the $1 million prize. 

Anything else?

I’m working very hard to reverse the old trend of losses in the U.S. I want to show that I’m a warrior. I’ll give everything I have to be the PFL champion. 

For more on PFL 2019, Week 2, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.