Eddie Alvarez – “Building a Legacy”

There is no doubt about it, Bellator Fighting Championships Lightweight title-holder Eddie Alvarez made a statement at Bellator 33 this past Thursday by taking out UFC veteran Roger “El Matador” Huerta with an overwhelming display of dominant mixed martial arts. As a result of the 2nd round TKO (Dr. Stoppage) victory, Alvarez solidifies his status as one of the world’s best lightweights and arguably the best 155-pounder not under UFC control. The only other candidate that may possibly lay claim to that is Strikeforce Lightweight Champ Gilbert Melendez, who he is publically campaigning for a fight with.

The only way to find out who the best lightweight is outside of the UFC is to let them fight. Sounds easy right? Wrong, that is easier said than done. It looks as if both fighters would throw down, but the organizations that they fight for may not agree. I can see their point, at least from a business point of view, why they wouldn’t want to run the risk. Let’s say for example that Melendez loses, where would that leave the Strikeforce promotion? Not every promotion is as steady as the UFC, so I don’t believe it would leave them in very good standing. All that that leaves us with is hope, we can hope that it happens, but for now, it doesn’t look to be happening anytime soon.

Alvarez has been a notable lightweight for some time now, however he began just like any other MMA hopeful, in the local circuit fighting for the love of the sport. With that being said, he did fire right out of the shoot, winning his first ten bouts while competing for New Jersey-based Ring of Combat and Mix Fighting Championship organizations. He also spent time fighting in Japan for the GCM organization, and in Canada and Russia with Bodog Fight during his early years.

His first defeat didn’t come until four years into his career when he lost to Nick Thompson during his first Bodog Fight title defense. Despite the loss, Alvarez’ name and stock were beginning to rise. He was already well-known on the east coast, and in particular, his hometown of Philadelphia, but he began to also gain momentum as a hard-working “no-nonsense” type of fighter worldwide.

After deciding to part ways with Bodog Fight, Alvarez chose to move to Pro Elite and fight for the Elite XC organization. However, Pro Elite was having financial issues and his career there lasted all of one bout, a victory over Ross Ebanez, before leaving to fight in Japan again. Alvarez began 2008 as a participant in the ultra-competitive DREAM Lightweight Grand-Prix. Victories over Andre “Dida” Amade, Joachim Hansen, and Tatsuya Kawajiri earned him a slot in the Grand Prix final, however an eye injury kept him from fighting in it and from coming up with yet another title.

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Considering his workmanlike effort in the DREAM Grand Prix, Alvarez began to gain respect in the World Lightweight rankings as well. Recognizing his abilities, he was hand-picked to fight Japanese standout Shinya Aoki at Dynamite 2008 for the WAMMA Lightweight Championship. It wasn’t his best performance, as he fell for only the second time in his career, getting caught in a slick heel hook submission at 1:32 of the 1st round, but he still remained among the top Lightweights in the world.

Shortly after his loss to Aoki, rumors began to fly about where Alvarez would fight next. Many wanted to see him compete in the UFC against the world’s best, however he chose a different path. He chose to fight for the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships promotion and compete in their Lightweight tournament. Already known as a world-class striker, Alvarez began his BFC career with three consecutive submission victories to claim the organizations’ 155-pound belt.

Since his run in the original Bellator tournament, Alvarez has had a little trouble getting top-notch opponents. He returned to Japan at DREAM 12 last October to defeat Katsunori Kikuno to claim his fourth straight victory before re-joining Bellator this May. In his return to Bellator, Alvarez submitted another UFC veteran Josh Neer at BFC 17 in a non-title affair

Now, after his sixth consecutive victory this past week over Huerta, Alvarez simply adds onto his impressive fight resume. If there was any doubt as to what level he was really on, well, there shouldn’t be anymore. He completely dominated Huerta battering him with strikes and shaking off any threats with ease to claim his 21st career win in 23 attempts.

So where does that leave him now? The Melendez bout looks to be OFF for now, and a bout with Bellator season 3 tournament winner Jeff Curran is being delayed because of an injury, it simply doesn’t leave him with many options. The only other fight that sounds somewhat intriguing is the rematch with Aoki, however, I’m not sure even he would want to get in a cage or ring with Alvarez right now.

Whatever path he decides to take, I’m sure that he will continue to develop and dominate whatever opposition comes in his way. No matter who he fights, or where he fights, he can never be counted out. Now, respected throughout the MMA world, it seems that he will not be able to fly under-the-radar anymore. Either way, there is no doubt that he is one of the best 155-pounders in the world today, and there is no arguing that.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer