Michael McDonald Knocks Out Miguel

Michael McDonald was bouncing on his toes, grinning, soaking in the moment. Surrounded by reporters and cameras, he breezed through a workout as if nothing he could be doing would be more fun.

Soaked in sweat, facing the biggest fight of his life Saturday when he takes on former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Miguel Torres in the pay-per-view opener at UFC 145, McDonald glanced at the reporters crowded around him and beamed.

Torres is a dangerous opponent and, by far, the biggest name he's faced to date, but McDonald shrugged. His countenance remains the same. At 21, nothing bothers him much. McDonald is the second-youngest fighter in the UFC and is on an express run toward a title shot. He's 14-1 overall,

3-0 in the UFC and looking like a burgeoning star. The UFC, though, isn't making accommodations to his age. In Torres, McDonald will face an elite opponent who turned professional when McDonald was just 9. Torres is 39-4 overall and has more than twice as many finishes (32) as McDonald has fights (15).