(Aoki/Alvarez 1, from K1 Dynamite 2008. THIS is how men fight.)
A lot has happened in the four years since Eddie Alvarez was heel-hooked by Shinya Aoki in the first round of their inaugural lightweight championship match back in December of 2008. Aoki has fought a remarkable 13 times since then, picking up notable wins over Marcus Aurelio and Rich Clementi as well as evening the score with DREAM rival Joachim Hansen. He has only gone 1-1 in the States, however, dropping a humiliating unanimous decision to current Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and notching a quick neck crank submission over Lyle Beerbohm.
Alvarez, on the other hand, went on to become the Bellator lightweight champion after defeating Toby Imada at Bellator 12 in June of ’09, but defended the belt only once in the five fights that succeeded it. We last saw the Philadelphia Fight Factory standout lose said title via fourth round submission in an absolute war with Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 that was my personal pick for 2011’s Fight of the Year.
Well now it seems that these two are destined to collide ONCE AGAIN, in what will surely be…an absolute war (isn’t it funny how you can impersonate Mike Goldberg without even talking?).
(Aoki/Alvarez 1, from K1 Dynamite 2008. THIS is how men fight.)
A lot has happened in the four years since Eddie Alvarez was heel-hooked by Shinya Aoki in the first round of their inaugural lightweight championship match back in December of 2008. Aoki has fought a remarkable 13 times since then, picking up notable wins over Marcus Aurelio and Rich Clementi as well as evening the score with DREAM rival Joachim Hansen. He has only gone 1-1 in the States, however, dropping a humiliating unanimous decision to current Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and notching a quick neck crank submission over Lyle Beerbohm.
Alvarez, on the other hand, went on to become the Bellator lightweight champion after defeating Toby Imada at Bellator 12 in June of ’09, but defended the belt only once in the five fights that succeeded it. We last saw the Philadelphia Fight Factory standout lose said title via fourth round submission in an absolute war with Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 that was my personal pick for 2011′s Fight of the Year.
Well now it seems that these two are destined to collide ONCE AGAIN, in what will surely be…an absolute war (isn’t it funny how you can impersonate Mike Goldberg without even talking?). Bellator officials have hinted that the long awaited rematch “should be happening soon,” and considering Alvarez’s name is noticeably absent from the season six lightweight tournament, the likelihood of this rematch happening in the near future is all the more evident. Let’s just hope Aoki doesn’t go entering himself in one of those wacky mixed rule bouts that are supposed to be squash matches anytime soon, and this one should be a lock, ladies and gentlemen.
I went ahead and posted the Alvarez/Chandler fight below. If you’ve got an extra 20 minutes to spare (and let’s be honest, you do), check out one of the most entertaining fights in recent memory.
In October 2010, UFC president Dana White tried to slow down the expectations for Jon Jones. The light-heavyweight talent had just run through veteran Vladimir Matyushenko and the buzz around him had grown to the point where people were trying to project him into the title picture.
White, though, would have none of it. Jones was going to fight Ryan Bader in early 2011 and still probably have to win another 2-3 fights after that before fighting for the belt, White said. Just three months later, circumstances caused him to reconsider.
In a perfect storm of a day, Jones blitzed Bader and White discovered he needed a challenger for Mauricio “Shogun” Rua when Rashad Evans got hurt and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson declined the fight on six weeks’ notice. Jones got the call and answered the challenge in historic fashion, annihilating Rua to capture the belt and become the youngest UFC champion in history.
Jones is the easy pick for fighter of the year, but in reality, his 2011 was more than that, arguably the finest single calendar year in MMA history.
Consider this: he became the first man in history to defeat three former UFC champs in a single year. But he didn’t just beat them, he finished each one of them (and choked out Bader for good measure).
If you like statistics, Jones’ dominance over the opposition can be proved numerically. In his four fights, he out-landed Bader, Rua, Jackson and Lyoto Machida by an obscene total of 233 to 56, according to FightMetric.
Keep in mind, those four came into their respective bouts with Jones with a combined winning percentage of .851, yet Jones won all 11 rounds against them and only Machida had any moments of success.
It’s not easy to select a defining moment for Jones in 2011, but his title victory was certainly a moment of clarity for all the remaining skeptics. From the opening touch of gloves until the time referee Herb Dean pulled Jones away signifying the end, Jones’ performance was nothing short of a masterpiece, MMA‘s equivalent of a perfect game.
Rua, a vaunted striker who was believed to have the standup advantage over Jones, was simply overwhelmed in every aspect. Jones out-landed him by a ridiculous amount, 102 to 11 by FightMetric’s count. He took him down on all three attempts. He passed his guard repeatedly. And finally, he finished the fight for good with a liver punch that crumpled Rua midway through the third.
Showcasing his versatility, Jones became the first man in a decade to make Jackson tap out when he scored a fourth-round submission in his first title defense. And he saved his most mature performance for last, navigating his way through a rocky first round against Machida before dropping him with a straight left and finishing him by choking him unconscious in the second.
The year saw Jones jump from prospect to champion in seemingly an instant. Just a few months before 2011 began, White thought Jones wasn’t yet ready to fight for the belt, but by the time it was over, White, like everyone else, had been converted.
“I don’t know how you deny the guy anymore,” he said. “He’s literally walked through everybody. He fought four times this year, probably the nastiest schedule in the history of the company. He’s incredible, man.”
And an easy choice for 2011’s Fighter of the Year.
2. Dan Henderson
When does time run out on Hendo? Judging from his 2011, it won’t be anytime soon. The 41-year-old insists he’s got a UFC title run in him, and his recent performances suggest he is indeed still a threat to either Jones or middleweight champ Anderson Silva. He started off the year in March by knocking out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante to take the Strikeforce light-heavyweight title. Months later, he moved to heavyweight and scored a TKO over Fedor Emelianenko, and he capped off his year by outlasting Rua in an all-time classic at UFC 139.
3. Ben Henderson
With dominant wins over Clay Guida, Jim Miller and Mark Bocek, Henderson proved that he belonged in the UFC’s lightweight division and that he was a legitimate challenger to current champ Frankie Edgar. Just as impressive as his performance was his quick climb back from disappointment. It was just about a year ago when he lost to Anthony Pettis during the infamous “Showtime kick” match. The victory was supposed to get Pettis a title shot, yet it’s Henderson who got there first.
4. Michael Chandler
It wasn’t a huge surprise when Chandler beat Marcin Held and Lloyd Woodard to advance to the Bellator lightweight tournament finals, but his tournament title win over Patricky “Pitbull” Freire raised some eyebrows, and then Chandler one-upped himself by toppling champ Eddie Alvarez in one of 2011’s best fights, a wild back-and-forth classic that Chandler closed out with a rear naked choke win.
5. (tie) Nick Diaz
What a wild ride 2011 was for Diaz, who earned early wins over Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and Paul Daley before vacating his welterweight belt to move over to the UFC. He came to fight champ Georges St-Pierre, but never got the chance after he missed media commitments and the UFC removed him from the bout. As it turned out, St-Pierre ended up getting hurt and would have missed the match anyway, but Diaz decided to take a fight with BJ Penn and smashed him in a way that we’ve only see GSP do lately, building more anticipation for a possible future bout between the pair.
5. (tie) Junior dos Santos
There’s no way to keep the new UFC heavyweight champion off this list after he demolished Shane Carwin back in June, and then headlined one of the most important shows in UFC history in November. Sure, the 64-second knockout of Cain Velasquez at the inaugural UFC on FOX show seemed more than a bit anticlimactic, but it also put into perspective just how dominant dos Santos has been. Since signing with the UFC, he has never lost a round.
In October 2010, UFC president Dana White tried to slow down the expectations for Jon Jones. The light-heavyweight talent had just run through veteran Vladimir Matyushenko and the buzz around him had grown to the point where people were trying to project him into the title picture.
White, though, would have none of it. Jones was going to fight Ryan Bader in early 2011 and still probably have to win another 2-3 fights after that before fighting for the belt, White said. Just three months later, circumstances caused him to reconsider.
In a perfect storm of a day, Jones blitzed Bader and White discovered he needed a challenger for Mauricio “Shogun” Rua when Rashad Evans got hurt and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson declined the fight on six weeks’ notice. Jones got the call and answered the challenge in historic fashion, annihilating Rua to capture the belt and become the youngest UFC champion in history.
Jones is the easy pick for fighter of the year, but in reality, his 2011 was more than that, arguably the finest single calendar year in MMA history.
Consider this: he became the first man in history to defeat three former UFC champs in a single year. But he didn’t just beat them, he finished each one of them (and choked out Bader for good measure).
If you like statistics, Jones’ dominance over the opposition can be proved numerically. In his four fights, he out-landed Bader, Rua, Jackson and Lyoto Machida by an obscene total of 233 to 56, according to FightMetric.
Keep in mind, those four came into their respective bouts with Jones with a combined winning percentage of .851, yet Jones won all 11 rounds against them and only Machida had any moments of success.
It’s not easy to select a defining moment for Jones in 2011, but his title victory was certainly a moment of clarity for all the remaining skeptics. From the opening touch of gloves until the time referee Herb Dean pulled Jones away signifying the end, Jones’ performance was nothing short of a masterpiece, MMA‘s equivalent of a perfect game.
Rua, a vaunted striker who was believed to have the standup advantage over Jones, was simply overwhelmed in every aspect. Jones out-landed him by a ridiculous amount, 102 to 11 by FightMetric’s count. He took him down on all three attempts. He passed his guard repeatedly. And finally, he finished the fight for good with a liver punch that crumpled Rua midway through the third.
Showcasing his versatility, Jones became the first man in a decade to make Jackson tap out when he scored a fourth-round submission in his first title defense. And he saved his most mature performance for last, navigating his way through a rocky first round against Machida before dropping him with a straight left and finishing him by choking him unconscious in the second.
The year saw Jones jump from prospect to champion in seemingly an instant. Just a few months before 2011 began, White thought Jones wasn’t yet ready to fight for the belt, but by the time it was over, White, like everyone else, had been converted.
“I don’t know how you deny the guy anymore,” he said. “He’s literally walked through everybody. He fought four times this year, probably the nastiest schedule in the history of the company. He’s incredible, man.”
And an easy choice for 2011’s Fighter of the Year.
2. Dan Henderson
When does time run out on Hendo? Judging from his 2011, it won’t be anytime soon. The 41-year-old insists he’s got a UFC title run in him, and his recent performances suggest he is indeed still a threat to either Jones or middleweight champ Anderson Silva. He started off the year in March by knocking out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante to take the Strikeforce light-heavyweight title. Months later, he moved to heavyweight and scored a TKO over Fedor Emelianenko, and he capped off his year by outlasting Rua in an all-time classic at UFC 139.
3. Ben Henderson
With dominant wins over Clay Guida, Jim Miller and Mark Bocek, Henderson proved that he belonged in the UFC’s lightweight division and that he was a legitimate challenger to current champ Frankie Edgar. Just as impressive as his performance was his quick climb back from disappointment. It was just about a year ago when he lost to Anthony Pettis during the infamous “Showtime kick” match. The victory was supposed to get Pettis a title shot, yet it’s Henderson who got there first.
4. Michael Chandler
It wasn’t a huge surprise when Chandler beat Marcin Held and Lloyd Woodard to advance to the Bellator lightweight tournament finals, but his tournament title win over Patricky “Pitbull” Freire raised some eyebrows, and then Chandler one-upped himself by toppling champ Eddie Alvarez in one of 2011’s best fights, a wild back-and-forth classic that Chandler closed out with a rear naked choke win.
5. (tie) Nick Diaz
What a wild ride 2011 was for Diaz, who earned early wins over Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and Paul Daley before vacating his welterweight belt to move over to the UFC. He came to fight champ Georges St-Pierre, but never got the chance after he missed media commitments and the UFC removed him from the bout. As it turned out, St-Pierre ended up getting hurt and would have missed the match anyway, but Diaz decided to take a fight with BJ Penn and smashed him in a way that we’ve only see GSP do lately, building more anticipation for a possible future bout between the pair.
5. (tie) Junior dos Santos
There’s no way to keep the new UFC heavyweight champion off this list after he demolished Shane Carwin back in June, and then headlined one of the most important shows in UFC history in November. Sure, the 64-second knockout of Cain Velasquez at the inaugural UFC on FOX show seemed more than a bit anticlimactic, but it also put into perspective just how dominant dos Santos has been. Since signing with the UFC, he has never lost a round.
Filed under: UFC, Bellator, Rankings, LightweightsMichael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?
Michael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?
Not on my list.
I loved the Chandler-Alvarez fight, and I like the 9-0 Chandler a lot. I think he’s one of the most talented young lightweights in the sport, and I think it speaks well for Bellator’s ability to spot talent that they signed him for their lightweight division. (Chandler fought twice for Strikeforce before Bellator scooped him up, and it was obviously a big mistake for Strikeforce to let him get away.) But while Chandler would be in my Top 20, I just can’t put him in my Top 10 yet.
So what could Chandler do to move into the Top 10? I’d love to see Bellator match Chandler up with Shinya Aoki. The previous plan had been to book an Alvarez-Aoki fight, but now that Chandler is the champ in Bellator, Chandler-Aoki would be more appealing. I’d also like to see Chandler take on Kurt Pellegrino, a lightweight who had a winning record in the UFC and is now set to make his Bellator debut against Patricky Freire. Putting Chandler in the cage with a UFC veteran would give us all a good idea how he stacks up against UFC lightweights.
Chandler’s win against Alvarez was obviously the biggest of his career so far. I want to see him get another big win before I put him in the Top 10.
The fighters who are in the Top 10 at 155 pounds are below.
1. Frankie Edgar (1): If there was any doubt after Edgar’s two decision victories over B.J. Penn and his draw with Gray Maynard, there’s no doubt anymore: Edgar’s TKO win over Gray Maynard makes him the top lightweight in the world. He’ll have his hands full, however, when he takes on Ben Henderson in February.
2. Gilbert Melendez (3): Melendez, the Strikeforce lightweight champion, should be fighting one of the top lightweights in the UFC. Instead, he’ll defend his belt against Jorge Masvidal, who’s not in my Top 10 or — as far as I know — anyone else’s.
3. Gray Maynard (2): No two fighters have ever met inside the Octagon four times, but if Maynard wins another couple of fights, he’ll have a good case that he deserves to get a fourth shot at Edgar. Maynard is 1-1-1 in his three career fights against Edgar so far.
4. Ben Henderson (6): The former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion, Henderson is now 3-0 in the UFC, with unanimous decision wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. He’ll get a chance to make his case for being the best in the world when he fights Edgar in Japan.
5. Clay Guida (4): Guida’s four-fight winning streak was snapped by Henderson, but he’ll be back. One thing we can always count on from Guida is that he’s going to stay active, win most of the time, and put on a good show when he loses. Guida has won the Fight of the Night award in four of his last five losses.
6. Anthony Pettis (5): Pettis already has a win over Henderson on his record, and that win was supposed to earn him a shot at the UFC belt. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way for Pettis, and when he lost to Guida he lost his chance to fight for the title. But Pettis looked good in beating Jeremy Stephens in October, and if he beats Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, he’ll have to be considered a strong contender for a lightweight title shot.
7. Jim Miller (9): Miller’s loss to Henderson in August may have cost him a title shot. The good news is that his next opponent, Melvin Guillard, is tailor-made for Miller to take down and submit.
8. Shinya Aoki (7): Aoki’s submission victories over Lyle Beerbohm, Rich Clementi and Rob McCullough have been impressive enough, but none of those three is even close to a Top 10 lightweight. Aoki’s level of competition leaves a lot to be desired.
9. Donald Cerrone (NR): Cerrone is 4-0 in the UFC this year and still has one more fight to go in 2011, against Nate Diaz at UFC 141. He could become the first fighter to go 5-0 in the UFC in one calendar year since Roger Huerta in 2007.
10. Nate Diaz (NR): It’s great to see Diaz back at lightweight and looking good in his win over Takanori Gomi. Diaz is too lanky for welterweight, but at lightweight he looks great, and his fight with Cerrone should be tremendous.
Filed under: BellatorAfter producing what is likely the best fight in its promotional history, Bellator has made Bellator 58’s Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler fight video available.
Alvarez (22-3) came into the fight riding a seven-fight win str…
After producing what is likely the best fight in its promotional history, Bellator has made Bellator 58’s Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler fight video available.
Alvarez (22-3) came into the fight riding a seven-fight win streak and needing a victory to set up a long-awaited rematch with Shinya Aoki, the last man to defeat him. Chandler (9-0) is a 25-year-old upstart who was a decisive underdog. The lightweight title fight ended up as a rollicking explosion of momentum shifts and dramatic action that produced a new champion and earned immediate praise as a Fight of the Year contender.
The UFC may be the brand name of MMA, but it doesn’t have exclusive rights to action packed bouts. While the UFC 139 pay-per-view was just getting warmed up, the evening’s “other” war and ‘fight of the year’ candidate was breaking out on MTV 2. If you didn’t catch it, I suggest you watch it in full up above.
Season 4 Lightweight Tournament winner Michael Chandler was all over Eddie Alvarez from the opening bell, driving forward and swinging for the fences. Within the first fifteen seconds he had dropped the champion twice and was only moments away from snatching the belt, but once again Alvarez proved difficult to put away. Chandler’s pressure wilted halfway through the second frame, allowing Alvarez to steal the round with a series of effective combinations. By round three Chandler’s fatigue was visible and the champ pounced, battering him across the cage. Though tired and hurt, Chandler continued to look for the big shot that would take Alvarez out. Answering the bell in the fourth, Chandler looked renewed and eager to throw. His hands found their mark, wobbling Alvarez before a big right hand dropped him. Chandler followed him down and mounted him, locking in the rear naked choke as Alvarez turned his back.
The UFC may be the brand name of MMA, but it doesn’t have exclusive rights to action packed bouts. While the UFC 139 pay-per-view was just getting warmed up, the evening’s “other” war and ‘fight of the year’ candidate was breaking out on MTV 2. If you didn’t catch it, I suggest you watch it in full up above.
Season 4 Lightweight Tournament winner Michael Chandler was all over Eddie Alvarez from the opening bell, driving forward and swinging for the fences. Within the first fifteen seconds he had dropped the champion twice and was only moments away from snatching the belt, but once again Alvarez proved difficult to put away. Chandler’s pressure wilted halfway through the second frame, allowing Alvarez to steal the round with a series of effective combinations. By round three Chandler’s fatigue was visible and the champ pounced, battering him across the cage. Though tired and hurt, Chandler continued to look for the big shot that would take Alvarez out. Answering the bell in the fourth, Chandler looked renewed and eager to throw. His hands found their mark, wobbling Alvarez before a big right hand dropped him. Chandler followed him down and mounted him, locking in the rear naked choke as Alvarez turned his back.
In the evening’s co-main event, Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard took on Trevor Prangley at 195 lbs. If Bellator titleholders must fight in non-title fights, we’re far happier seeing it take place at a catchweight than simply fighting within their division without putting the belt on the line. That being said, regardless of the weight class, a dominant champion like Hector Lombard deserves a bigger challenge than a fighter with one lone victory in his past five outings.
Trevor Prangley‘s only real output in the bout came in the form of a double-leg that saved him from an onslaught of punches that had him in deep trouble early in the first round. That takedown bought him time to time to compose himself and survive the remainder of the round, but the South African wrestling champion had only delayed Lombard from doing what he does best—lighting fools up. Round two opened with a few casual exchanges before the the two traded blows in earnest. Lombard connected with a huge right to the jaw that had Prangley doing the fish dance. Again Prangley sought refuge in the form of a takedown, but “Lightning” stuffed the desperation shot and went to work with brutal ground and pound. Lombard was hesitant to deliver unnecessary blows, but continued the abuse until the ref called a halt to the bout just one minute, six seconds into the second round.
Rafael Dias showed a healthy respect for the striking game of Marlon Sandro and kept far out of range at the opening of the bout. That respect didn’t prevent him from dropping Sandro when the two exchanged in a flurry of punches. Sandro recovered quickly with a takedown and maintained control of the bout on the ground. Dias scrambled back to his feet only to find himself caught in a standing arm triangle. Sandro drug him to the canvas and completed the submission, finishing the fight by tapout in 3:56 of the first round.
(Aguilar-Ward, via Zombie Prophet. Use the link for part II)
If you read our interview with Jessica Aguilar, you knew she was ready to scrap. Despite suffering a broken nose in the opening frame, Aguilar’s standup was too much for Lisa Ellis-Ward. Her overhand rights found their target throughout the three round bout. Ward slipped off a missed flying knee in round two which left her open to multiple knees from the clinch and some heavy shots on the ground. Aguilar continued to get the better of the exchanges in round three, but Ward turned it on at the close of the fight with aggressive stand-up and a kimura attempt. Aguilar pulled out of the hold and maintainted control through the close of the fight, taking the bout by unanimous decision.
Michael Chandler def. Eddie Alvarez via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:06 of Round 4
Hector Lombard def. Trevor Prangley by knockout at 1:06 of Round 2
Jessica Aguilar def. Lisa Ward-Ellis by unanimous decision
Marlon Sandro def. Rafael Dias by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 3:56 of Round 1
Prelims:
Brett Cooper def. Jared Hess by unanimous decision
Valdir Araujo def. Ailton Barbosa by unanimous decision
Cosmo Alexander def. Avery McPhatter by KO at 0:20 of Round 1
Herbert Goodman def. Jonas Billstein by Disqualification (Illegal Soccer Kick) at 3:21 of Round 2 Fabio Mello def. Farkhad Sharipov by unanimous decision
Bellator 58 Main Fight Card Lightweight Championship bout: Eddie Alvarez (c) vs Michael Chandler Can’t go against Alvarez. Chandler is an excellent fighter though. Reminds of Jake Ellenberger. Chandler is a very good fighter with all around skills, just lacking everything against Alvarez though. If the odds are totally outrageous, then Chandler wouldn’t be the
Bellator 58 Main Fight Card
Lightweight Championship bout: Eddie Alvarez (c) vs Michael Chandler
Can’t go against Alvarez. Chandler is an excellent fighter though. Reminds of Jake Ellenberger. Chandler is a very good fighter with all around skills, just lacking everything against Alvarez though. If the odds are totally outrageous, then Chandler wouldn’t be the worst upset play. Thinking Alvarez via decision.
Alvarez is -260 and Chandler is +200 at Intertops, so the odds aren’t terrible here. Says a lot about Chandler’s skills.
Catchweight (95lb) bout: Hector Lombard vs Trevor Prangley
Hector Lombard definitely will win, but if you like playing upsets, the odds are probably ridiculously one sided for this one. Prangley though can take a punch. However, thinking Lombard via TKO.
Yep Lombard is -800 and Prangley is +500 at Intertops
Women’s (5 lbs) bout: Jessica Aguilar vs Lisa Ellis-Ward
pass
Bellator 58 Undercard
Middleweight bout: Brett Cooper vs Jared Hess
I lean towards Cooper. He became famous by KO’ing IFL star Rory Markham as a replacement fighter back in 2007. Hess also tasted success as a champion in a 3rd tier fight promotion. This fight should be excellent. If Cooper can’t finish Hess could probably win on points. I think Cooper has a shot though.
Prediction: Hess via decision
Welterweight bout: Valdir Araujo vs Ailton Barbosa
pass
Lightweight bout: Cosmo Alexandre vs Avery McPhatter
pass
Middleweight bout: Jonas Billstein vs Reggie Pena
pass
Bantamweight bout: Farkhad Sharipov vs Fabio Mello
In October 2010, 
Michael Chandler defeated 
After producing what is likely the best fight in its promotional history,