Multiple-time Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez shook the world of mixed martial arts after it was officially announced that he signed an exclusive deal with ONE Championship a week ago.
Hours after ONE Championship publicly confirmed the acquisition of Alvarez, fans are already abuzz about his possible opponents in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The 34-year-old native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has not even settled comfortably in his new home yet, but with the organization housing top-tier competitors in the lightweight division, five mainstays in the company’s 77.1-kilogram weight class appear as strong candidates to face him in his first bout on the ONE Championship stage.
Eduard Folayang
Arguably the biggest athlete acquisition in the seven-year history of ONE Championship, Alvarez provides a plethora of intriguing matchups, including a bout with former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang.
Regarded as the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, Folayang has captivated fans around the globe with his warm personality, humble demeanor, and epic battles in ONE Championship.
Over the course of his promotional run, Folayang has enjoyed a long list of unforgettable moments, including his shocking victory over Aoki to capture the lightweight crown in November 2016.
The 34-year-old resident of Baguio City, Philippines would be the perfect foil for the American newcomer, who loves nothing more than to stand up and trade.
In addition, Folayang has fortified his skill set with an ever-improving grappling game, which he showed in his most recent victories when he authored the first defeats in the careers of Russian standouts Kharun Atlangeriev and Aziz Pahrudinov.
Amir Khan
Singaporean sensation Amir Khan could secure a date with Alvarez if he pulls off an upset victory over Folayang in the main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS on 23 November as both men are slated to duke it out for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.
The 23-year-old Singaporean phenom holds the exceptional record for the most wins and finishes in ONE Championship, scoring impressive victories over the likes of Bashir Ahmad, Jimmy Yabo, Jaroslav Jartim and Adrian Pang.
Khan is coming off the biggest win of his ONE Championship stint, submitting ex-ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario with a first-round rear-naked choke this past September.
Now, with Evolve’s new head coach Eduardo Pamplona mentoring him to new heights, Khan could provide a stern challenge to Alvarez.
Shinya Aoki
Aside from the potential encounter with Folayang or Khan, there is a very realistic chance the long-awaited trilogy bout between Alvarez and Aoki could finally happen in ONE Championship.
The two men split their previous encounters, with Aoki winning via first-round submission in their first meeting in December 2008 before Alvarez got even with a second-round stoppage triumph in their April 2012 rematch.
Riding high on a three-bout winning streak, Aoki is currently the top contender for the ONE Lightweight World Championship, awaiting the winner of the title tiff between Folayang and Khan on 23 November.
Should Aoki go on to successfully challenge the new champion, it would set the stage perfectly for a legendary rubber match between the two accomplished superstars.
Ev Ting
Hard-hitting, durable and relentless are just a few words to describe Malaysia’s Ev “E.T.” Ting as a martial artist, gaining the reputation as one of the most dynamic stand-up specialists in the ONE Championship lightweight division.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Ting is a well-rounded competitor who prefers to use his versatile striking repertoire to defeat his opponents.
More than half of his career victories have come by way of finish, including his surprising first-round stoppage triumph over former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki.
Although he fell short in his most recent outing against Shinya Aoki, Ting remains as one of the top combatants in the division and would be an acid test to Alvarez.
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
A hard-hitting wrestler from Istanbul, Turkey, Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev is truly a force to be reckoned with in ONE Championship’s talent-rich lightweight bracket as he possesses both knockout power and smothering grappling.
In his most recent bout under the ONE Championship banner, Arslanaliev proved that he is more than capable of overcoming adversity, notching a first-round knockout victory over Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin.
A martial artist that could very well be the dark horse of the lightweight ranks, Arslanaliev would be an excellent-but-formidable foe for Alvarez in his ONE Championship debut.
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