MMA fighter fends off four attackers, killing one during home invasion: police

PUBLISHED: January 5, 2014 at 6:26 p.m. | UPDATED: January 10, 2019 at 1:08 a.m.

A New Mexico mixed martial artist won the fight of his life — outside the ring.

Joseph Torrez, 27, repelled a home invasion, killing one man, injuring another so badly he left in an ambulance and persuading two others to run in fear, authorities said.

Torrez and the men clashed on New Year’s Day at his home outside of Las Cruces, reportedly part of an ongoing feud.

One of the attackers, 22-year-old Leonard Calvillo, called ahead to threaten Torrez, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported, citing court documents.

Mixed Martial Arts fighter Joseph Torrez fought off four men who broke into his house, killing one and putting one in the hospital, authorities say.

“I’ll kill you and your family … I’ll go to your house,” Calvillo reportedly said.

Calvillo arrived shortly after with 20-year-old Nathan Avalos and brothers Sal and Raymond Garces and pounded on Torrez’s door, authorities said.

Torrez’s fiancee, son and the fiancee’s sister were all home at the time, authorities said.

Sal Garces, 25, was killed when he and three other men busted into a mixed martial artist's home, authorities say. — Sal Garces, 25, was killed when he and three other men busted into a mixed martial artist’s home, authorities say.

The fiancee leaned against the door of the mobile home, trying to keep them out, but they busted through, authorities said.

There they met Torrez, a 155-pound lightweight with a record of one win and five losses, according to the fight website SherDog.com.

The four men are all gang members, a Dona Ana County Sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Leonard Calvillo reportedly threatened to kill a mixed martial artist and his family, but the supposed victim turned the tables, killing one of the men Cavillo brought as backup and hospitalizing another, authorities say.

C.J. McElhinney, an attorney for Torrez, told the Sun-News witness said the attackers brought a crude shank and one picked up a knife once they forced their way inside.

Sal Garces, 25, was stabbed to death during the fight. Avalos suffered “severe” facial injuries and was taken to a New Mexico hospital, authorities said.

Torrez endured only minor injuries, his lawyer said.