Torres (39-4, 1-1 UFC) did a good job of moving and try to pick apart Johnson in the first, but became way too stationary in the final rounds.
Johnson (10-1, 2-0 UFC) scored multiple takedowns in the second and third. Torres worked for submissions, but more often than not MMA judges won't reward fighters for offense from the bottom. And the reality was, Johnson countered every Torres' move and stayed out of real trouble.
"It was a tough fight," Torres said. "He took me down and he just held me. I had a couple of submission attempts that gave me the chance to put him away. This was my fault tonight. He's slippery and he was able to get the takedowns. I just didn't take advantage when I should have."
Johnson said he thought the difference was controlling the pace and pushing forward in spite of what he thought was an injured leg.
"I thought I had a great game plan," Johnson said. "My goal was to kick his front leg, but at one point, he checked my kick and hit a soft spot (on my right leg). It really limited my mobility. My legs are my engine and he took that away from me. Fortunately, I was able to recover and secure good takedowns.
Torres, who raced out to a 37-1 start to his career, has now lost three of five. This was a costly loss for Torres, who was working toward a title shot or slot on a future "Ultimate Fighter" against the winner of the UFC 132's fight between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
The 24-year-old Johnson has a bright future. Frankly, he should be fighting down at 125 pounds, but the UFC hasn't added the flyweight division yet. So for now, look out bantamweights and expect to go hard for at least 15 minutes against "Mighty Mouse."
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