Mark Henry believes Eddie Alvarez could be the one to dethrone Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Eddie Alvarez might be gearing up for a rematch with Dustin Poirier, but his longtime coach and friend Mark Henry is already looking ahead to a lightweight title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Alvarez captured the 155-pound strap in 2016 but lost it in his first title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 205. Determined to reclaim the belt, Alvarez will look establish himself as the official No. 1 contender with a win over ‘The Diamond’ at UFC on FOX 30 in July.
Henry, of course, believes Alvarez is the one to dethrone Khabib and hand the Dagestani his first professional loss, citing ‘The Underground King’s’ underrated wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
“I just feel people don’t know Eddie’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu is off the hook,” Henry told Damon Martin of MMAWeekly in a recent interview. “I feel the one that would have the best chance, that lines up best with Khabib stylistically is definitely Eddie. Eddie’s not afraid of anything. Eddie could definitely defend the shot and his jiu-jitsu is off the hook.”
“Most of all, Eddie’s crazy. He’s out of his mind. That definitely counts for something. He’s a veteran and his game is getting better and better. I definitely think he lines up with Khabib better than anyone.”
Nurmagomedov, 29, has steamrolled almost all of his opponents with his unrelenting takedowns and ground and pound, and has earned a reputation as one of the most feared grapplers in the sport.
Henry, however, is confident Alvarez has the defensive tools to fend off Nurmagomedov’s takedowns and keep the fight on the feet, where he feels the former Bellator and UFC champ has the clear advantage with his boxing.
“His wrestling is great. Someone will shoot on him and sometimes he’ll be a little late on his defense and his hips are so good, even when he sees the shot and defends it late, his hips are so good,” Henry continued. “He’s so stocky and strong, it’s like hitting a brick wall sometimes going to shoot on him. His wrestling defense is amazing. His jiu-jitsu is amazing.
“I’ve seen Eddie spar thousands of rounds and I’m not sure I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him on his back much less taken down much.”
Before any real talk of a title fight with Khabib, Alvarez will have to take care of business with Poirier at UFC on FOX 30. Their first bout at UFC 211 ended in controversy after Alvarez landed a series of illegal knees in the second round and the fight was ruled a No Contest.
UFC on FOX: Alvarez vs. Poirier II takes place on July 28 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Canada.