With each passing fight, unbeaten Ruben Torres says he is gaining more confidence. That may not bode well for those fighting at 135 or 140 pounds.

Torres aims to close 2021 on a high note as he squares off against Francisco Armenta tonight at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California. The eight-round bout will precede the main event bout between bantamweight Saul Sanchez and Jose Estrella.

Both fights will stream live on Thompson Boxing’s Facebook and YouTube pages (11:00 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT).

At Thursday’s weigh-in, Torres weighed in at 136.4 pounds. Armenta weighed 138 pounds.

Torres-Armenta is a clash between unbeaten fighters. Torres (16-0, 13 knockouts), who resides in South Central Los Angeles, has impressed as of late and shown more power, stopping six of his last seven opponents. In his last bout on August 14, Torres knocked out former fringe contender Richard Zamora in round 5.

Torres believes he has gained more confidence not only for the results of each fight, but also for the work he has put in during training camp.

“I’ve gained a lot more confidence over the last year or so,” Torres told The Ring earlier this week. “It shows the work you put in is paying off. Setting up those double left hooks to the body and getting the win, planning a shot you’ve been working on during training camp.”

That confidence has also translated in Torres itching to fight some of the best fighters at 135 pounds. At a time when many fighters have talked about fighting each other, particularly the top lightweights in the division, Torres is eager to face those fighters.

Torres did not mince words when describing where he sees himself amongst those fighters in the talent-rich lightweight division.

“I believe I’m a contender all the way,” said Torres, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing. “I’ll let the people decide, but I’m ready to take on whoever. Anyone in the top-15. There’s nowhere to go but calling out fighters, ranked or not. I have the confidence to call them all out.

“The goal is to test myself against these guys. Devin Haney, (newly-crowned Ring Magazine champion George) Kambosos, Ryan (Garcia). I know I need to get there first. I need to get to the top-10 or top-5 to get those fights. I believe I can get there. I have to prove myself first. They’ve already proven themselves.”

The 24-year-old has gotten top sparring, working out in nearby Santa Fe Springs. Torres is trained by Danny Zamora, who is also his manager.

“I’ve sparred with junior welterweight contenders Jose Zepeda and Arnold Barboza,” said Torres. “I’ve also sparred with (lightweight) Michael Dutchover. Guys like Zepeda and Barboza have given me solid work and I learn from them as well. They talk to me about boxing stuff and other things within the sport.

“I have a great team of Zamora, and my other coaches Javier Gomez and Jerry Arias. Both have another set of eyes, but all of them are the type of trainers that point out what they see. They’re not worried about hurting my feelings and they’re honest. They don’t tell me what I want to hear. It helps me get better and grow as a fighter. I stay grounded because of them.”

Torres has a high ceiling and will only get better. He has impressively passed each test thus far, whether it was a knockout win over gatekeeper Oscar Bravo in July of last year or getting in valuable rounds about a year ago against Jose Luis Rodriguez.

He hopes for a breakthrough 2022 where more opportunities await.

“All we can do is focus on the next fight. We’ll see what happens next. I have faith in my promoter and manager. I have a great team behind me.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing