Eddie Alvarez

At 40 years old, Eddie Alvarez has this physical status:

Mixed martial arts career

Alvarez claims to have battled over 100 unsanctioned bouts before starting as a professional fighter because there were no amateur fighters around. In 2003, he began his competitive mixed martial arts career by paying $250 for a ticket in Ring of Combat 5 to begin his professional mixed martial arts career.

In his seventh professional fight in June 2006, Alvarez defeated Derrick Noble via KO at 1:01 of the first round. The MFC Welterweight Championship will later be rebranded as the BodogFIGHT Welterweight Championship.

Despite the fact that many insiders did not believe 170 pounds to be Alvarez's best combat weight, the fighter kept fighting bigger opponents, as he enjoyed trying his mettle against bigger fighters. Alvarez's size disadvantage would be revealed at Bodog Fight's "Clash of the Nations" pay per view in Russia on April 14, 2007, as he suffered his first career setback when he was TKO'd by UFC veteran Nick Thompson at 4:32 in round 2 after being TKO'd by UFC veteran Nick Thompson at 4:32 in round 2. Alvarez joined EliteXC after deciding to leave Bodog. He competed in their 160-pound division against Ross Ebanez, winning by TKO.

A few weeks before the first game, it was revealed that the Japanese promotion DREAM, which was founded by PRIDE FC and K-1's minds, had signed Alvarez to compete in their 154-pound grand prix.

Andre Amade, who graduated from the Chute Boxe Academy, was his first fight. In the first round, Alvarez won by TKO due to a strike late in the first round.

Alvarez advanced to the second round of the tournament, where he defeated top-ranked Lightweight fighter Joachim Hansen by unanimous decision on May 11, 2008.

Alvarez defeated top-ranked Lightweight champion Tatsuya Kawajiri in the tournament's semi-finals, defeating him in his campaign at Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round. Sherdog named this fight Fight of the Year in 2008. However, he was unable to participate in the tournament due to a cut and widespread swelling under his right eye. Joachim Hansen, who had defeated Alvarez two months earlier, was Alvarez's replacement. Hansen went on to win the tournament and take the DREAM lightweight championship.

On November 8, 2008, Alvarez was due to face UFC and PRIDE veteran Nick Diaz for the EliteXC 160 pound title. However, when EliteXC's parent company ProElite filed for bankruptcy, the fight was called off. Alvarez defeated Shinya Aoki at K-1 Dynamite on New Year's Eve 2008. In the first round, 2008 lost by submission. He was later signed to a Bellator Combat Championships exclusive deal.

On April 3, 2009, Alvarez registered in Bellator's lightweight tournament at Bellator's inaugural function. Greg Loughran, a Northern Irishman, who was defeated by him with a guillotine choke. Eric Reynolds' next fight in the tournament's semi-finals took place four weeks later at Bellator 5. In the third round, Alvarez dominated the match for two rounds but then used a rear-naked choke to beat Reynolds.

Alvarez reached the finals of the lightweight tournament, which took place at Bellator 12 on June 19, 2009. He fought and defeated Toby Imada in the second round by a rear naked choke submission to become Bellator's first-ever lightweight champion.

On May 6, 2010, Alvarez met Josh Neer in a non-title "Super fight" at Bellator 17, where he defeated Neer by a rear-naked choke at 2:08 of round 2.

Alvarez had intended to face Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Champion Pat Curran in a contest of his own right shoulder but he had to cancel due to a shoulder injury. Roger Huerta was defeated by Bellator 33 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he had a hefty blast. Between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, he prevailed via TKO (doctor stoppage). Alvarez also stated that he wanted his next fight to be against Gilbert Melendez, the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion.

Alvarez won the Bellator Lightweight Championship at Bellator 39 by unanimous vote (49–46, 50–45, 50–45).

In what was described by many publications as the '2011 Fight of the Year', Alvarez met Michael Chandler on November 19, 2011, at Bellator 58.' In the fourth round, Chandler was defeated by a back naked choke. Chandler was very aggressive in the first round, nearly winning Alvarez.

In a rematch at Bellator 66, Alvarez defeated Shinya Aoki. In the first round, he advanced to the championship via TKO.

At Bellator 76, Alvarez met Patrick Freire and beat Freire in the first round by KO. This was the last fight in Alvarez's deal with Bellator, and he had to leave the company during exclusive talks. In principle, Alvarez decided to join the UFC, with a cut of pay-per-view in addition to show and win money. Bellator, on the other hand, invoked a clause in the original contract to match the show and win purse while still claiming that the pay-per-view cut in the UFC's bid to be solely hypothetical. Bellator's former Alvarez and his company brought two lawsuits against him.

On August 13, 2013, it was announced that Alvarez and Bellator had reached an agreement on their employment status. On November 2, 2013, Alvarez met Michael Chandler at Bellator 106. For the second time, he defeated Bellator Lightweight Champion by split decision in a close fight for the second time. Alvarez and Chandler engaged in another high-lauded, back-and-forth combat, much like the first time they met. In the early rounds, Alvarez's jab and punching combinations found their home, damaging Chandler's left eye, while Chandler was able to land multiple take down attempts and slams, as well as a rear naked choke. Eddie land had some good combinations in the third round. Chandler landed a flying knee and some pounding ground in the fourth round, which angered Eddie. Both fighters were busted up and bleeding badly by the fifth round. Chandler caught Alvarez in a neck crank, but Alvarez escaped and nearly finished the match two times with rear-naked choke attempts. The fight was the best he's ever seen, according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. Chandler's decision was not without controversy, with many media outlets predicting the battle for Chandler.

After recuperating, Rebney said in a post-fight press conference that the two teams would meet again in a rubber match, perhaps on pay-per-view. On May 17, 2014, Michael Chandler was in his third match for Bellator 120's main event. However, Alvarez had suffered a concussion and was forced to pull out of the competition a week before the match, forcing him to withdraw from the contest.

In August 2014, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker announced that Alvarez had been released from his position as a competitor.

The United Football Club revealed on August 19, 2014 that they had signed Alvarez to a deal. In the co-main event at UFC 178 on September 27, 2014, he made his promotional debut against fan favorite and top contender Donald Cerrone. Despite taking multiple flurries of clinch strikes from Alvarez early in the first round, Cerrone regained control of the game with leg kicks that eventually injured Alvarez. Alvarez was disqualified in a unanimous decision.

On January 18, 2015, Alvarez was set to face Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night 59. However, Alvarez dropped out of the match and was replaced by Donald Cerrone.

On June 13, 2015, Alvarez met Gilbert Melendez at UFC 188. By a split decision, Alvarez had the fight.

On January 17, 2016, Alvarez met Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night 81. Despite being a strong underdog going into battle, Alvarez was able to intimidate and control Pettis. Alvarez was victorious by a split decision in the competition.

Alvarez debuted Rafael dos Anjos in his fourth UFC match, beating him at UFC Fight Night 90 for the UFC Lightweight Championship on July 7, 2016. Despite being a three-to-one underdog going into the fight, Alvarez discovered his range early and shook Anjos with a right hand just past the halfway point in the first round. He swarmed dos Anjos and delivered a barrage of unanswered punches before the fight was called off via TKO. Alvarez received his first Performance of the Night bonus award as a result of his victory.

On November 12, 2016, Alvarez delivered his first title defense against Conor McGregor, the then-UFC Featherweight Champion. It was the first UFC match in New York since the state's long-running ban on MMA was lifted. After being stunned in the first round, he lost by TKO in the second round.

Alvarez took on Dustin Poirier on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211, in his first match since losing the Lightweight title. In the second round, Poirier stunned Alvarez, but the pair was eventually dismissed after Alvarez landed two unlawful knees, but Poirier was against the fence. Referee Herb Dean declared the contest a No Contest because Alvarez did not know Poirier was a grounded competitor at the time, but it was not a contest under new unified legislation.

In July 2017, it was revealed that Alvarez would be a mentor on The Ultimate Fighter 26, against former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje. On December 2, 2017, UFC 218 held a fight with Gaethje. In the third round, Alvarez defeated the opponent by knockout. Both participants were awarded the Fight of the Night bonus for the fight.

In the last fight of his UFC contract, Alvarez met Dustin Poirier on July 28, 2018, in a rematch in the main event at UFC on Fox 30. In the second round, he lost via TKO.

On October 15, 2018, it was revealed that Alvarez had signed for ONE Championship, marking his debut in early 2019 as part of the company's Lightweight division.

Alvarez would be one of eight participants in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix on November 7, 2018. Alvarez met Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE Championship: A New Era on March 31, 2019, the first event in Japan, which was announced on December 19, 2018. In the first round, he was defeated by TKO in the first round.

On August 2, 2019, Alvarez competed at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes against former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang. After being knocked by a leg kick early in the round, he won the match via first-round rear-naked choke.

Alvarez had been supposed to face Saygid Arslaniev in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix final on Sunday, but news broke on September 26, 2019. He had to withdraw from the competition due to a tear. Christian Lee, the current Lightweight Champion, had him replaced. The match against Arslaniev was supposed to be rebooked for ONE Infinity 2 on June 26, 2020, but unfortunately, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic on sports.

On April 7, 2021, Alvarez faced former ONE lightweight champion Iuri Lapicus at ONE. On TNT, the event took place in Singapore and aired in a primetime slot in the United States. After repeatedly punching punches to the back of Lapicus's head, he was disqualified. Multiple outlets and professional wrestlers reported that Alvarez' call to disqualify was viewed with suspicion by several media outlets and professional wrestlers as it seemed he was striking Lapicus's ear before Lapicus started turning his head. The final decision was reversed to a no contest after Alvarez appealed.

Alvarez defeated Ok Rae Yoon on TNT 4 on April 28, 2021, three weeks after his last fight. He lost a close fight by unanimous decision.

It was announced on September 21, 2022, that Alvarez had agreed to be released from his ONE Championship contract.

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