Tag: Eddie Alvarez

Eddie Alvarez: ‘Any Night, I Have the Ability to Beat Anyone in the World’

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, BellatorNo matter which publication you favor, you don’t have to look too far down the lightweight rankings before you find the name of Eddie Alvarez. With a record of 21-2, and wins in 11 of his last 12 fights, he is b…

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No matter which publication you favor, you don’t have to look too far down the lightweight rankings before you find the name of Eddie Alvarez. With a record of 21-2, and wins in 11 of his last 12 fights, he is by far the most highly ranked fighter in any division on the Bellator roster.

The across-the-board respect for his impressive resume is a long overdue development for the 27-year-old Philadelphian, whose quest for widespread acclaim — done completely outside the UFC machine — has been a slow burn.

Alvarez has done it with an in-cage work ethic worthy of his city’s blue-collar roots. Philly has always been a notorious fight town, home to boxing greats like Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and Bernard Hopkins, but with no new pugilists coming to the forefront, Alvarez has essentially filled the void, watching his popularity grow over the last few years. Now, with the promotion’s arrival on MTV2, Alvarez may see his profile and reputation expand even further.

Added Focus, Increased Expectations for Bellator’s MTV2 Debut

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Bellator, NewsJust two years into the company’s existence, Bellator continues its forward momentum by premiering on MTV2 on Saturday night. Once seemingly another in a long line of flash-in-the-pan promotions, the organ…

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Just two years into the company’s existence, Bellator continues its forward momentum by premiering on MTV2 on Saturday night. Once seemingly another in a long line of flash-in-the-pan promotions, the organization has become a player in the MMA world with a mix of exciting prospects (Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Rick Hawn) rising stars (Ben Askren, Zach Makovsky), and established champions (Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez).

During its recent offseason, Bellator even showed a willingness to dip into the major free agent pool, inking highly regarded featherweight Marlon Sandro.

But with more exposure comes added expectation, and thus comes the challenge for Bellator to produce a product that matches the entertainment value of major US promotions Strikeforce and the UFC.

It’s a challenge that company CEO Bjorn Rebney embraces.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Pat Curran Booked for April 2

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Bellator, NewsPat Curran will finally get his shot at Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 39 on April 2, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed with MMA Fighting on Wednesday. Rebney said that no venue …

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Pat Curran will finally get his shot at Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 39 on April 2, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed with MMA Fighting on Wednesday. Rebney said that no venue has been finalized for the 155-pound fight, which will air live on MTV2.

Curran was supposed to fight Alvarez in October, but a shoulder injury suffered in training forced the 23-year-old to pull out of the fight. Instead, Alvarez fought Roger Huerta in a non-title fight and defeated him via second round TKO (doctor stoppage).

Best Fighter Outside the UFC? Dana White Picks Nick Diaz

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce

My own list of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts doesn’t include anyone outside the UFC, and I’m sure Dana White’s list wouldn’t either. But when White was asked in Toronto on Wednesday to name the…

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My own list of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts doesn’t include anyone outside the UFC, and I’m sure Dana White‘s list wouldn’t either. But when White was asked in Toronto on Wednesday to name the best pound-for-pound fighter he doesn’t have under contract, he named someone who had a 6-4 record inside the Octagon before leaving the promotion four years ago.

“The pound-for-pound best fighter outside the UFC? That’s a good question,” White said. “Probably Nick Diaz. Nick is nasty. Nick’s a tough kid and probably should be in the UFC, but he’s too crazy. He does crazy stuff.”

MMA Top 10 Lightweights: 2011 Starts With a Bang

Filed under: DREAM, UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, LightweightsThe UFC might not have a better main event all year than it had in its first main event of the year, as Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought for 25 furious minutes and showed why they’re the …

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The UFC might not have a better main event all year than it had in its first main event of the year, as Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought for 25 furious minutes and showed why they’re the two best lightweights in the world.

Is it disappointing that Edgar-Maynard ended up a draw? In a sense, it’s always disappointing, in any competition, not to see a definitive winner. But this time the draw was the right decision (I scored it 47-47) Fortunately, the UFC made the right decision and said after the fight that Edgar and Maynard will get it on one more time to determine who’s No. 1.

At the moment, Edgar and Maynard are 1-2 on my list and just about everyone else’s. Take a look at how the rest of the lightweight rankings stack up below.

Scott Coker Talks Co-Promotion and Negotiations with Fedor, But is Conspicuously Mum About CBS Negotiations

("CBS? They suck. I’m not sure I want to work with them anymore.")During today’s Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu conference call, the promotion’s CEO Scott Coker touched on some pressing questions, but was noticeably mum on others.
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("CBS? They suck. I’m not sure I want to work with them anymore.")

During today’s Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu conference call, the promotion’s CEO Scott Coker touched on some pressing questions, but was noticeably mum on others.

"You’re going to see big things," Coker teased when speaking of the California-based promotion’s plans for next year, but he didn’t say whether or not a return to CBS is in Strikeforce’s stacked deck of cards. In an interview he did earlier this month with Sherdog, Coker said that a reputable TV deal would have to be in place for him to entertain a co-promotion deal with the promotions, which could be a telling sign that CBS has taken his number off of speed dial.

He did mentione Showtime when discussing the ongoing, yet unfruitful negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko’s M-1 Global management team, but didn’t give a clue about the status of Strikeforce’s relationship with CBS, which many assume is dead in the water thanks to the Team Cesar Gracie-Jason Miller brawl that took place during their last telecast in April.

"It’s been quite a long road here with the M-1 camp trying to get this done. I agree with [M-1 director of operations] Evgeni [Kogan] that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel," Coker explained. "We would welcome Fedor to have a long term deal with Strikeforce fighting on Showtime and we’re trying to get this done. It’s not done yet, there’s nothing signed. So really there’s nothing to announce."

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