Eddie Alvarez Youtube Videos
Eddie Alvarez Bio
Eddie Alvarez is an American mixed martial artist, and former Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion. Alvarez also competes for the Japanese DREAM promotion, and fought once for ProElite's EliteXC promotion. On his way to proclaiming himself the best lightweight outside of the UFC, Alvarez has beaten the likes of Roger Huerta, Josh Neer, Pat Curran, Toby Imada, Shinya Aoki, Joachim Hansen and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Biography
Of Puerto Rican and Irish descent, Alvarez was born and raised in Kensington, Philadelphia, a rough neighborhood with a reputation for violent crimes and an abundance of street narcotics.
Known in MMA for his boxing prowess, Alvarez was a wrestler at Northeast Catholic High School. He was a two-time National Prep All-American, and placed 6th in both 2000 and 2001 at the National Prep School Wrestling Championships in the 145 lb weight class. After high school, Alvarez immediately pursued a professional career in MMA with his first fight coming after only eight months of formal training.
Alvarez utilized the financial success to move his family out of Kensington and into Northeast Philadelphia following the birth of his first son, Eddie Jr.
Alvarez made two appearances on the television show Bully Beatdown on MTV, where he knocked out both of his opponents.
Alvarez in December 2010, opened up the first ever MMA store in Philadelphia, PA. The name of the store is, "The Red Corner" and was located in the Fishtown area of Philadelphia, and has since shut its doors.
Mixed martial arts career
Alvarez won the MFC welterweight title in his seventh pro fight in June 2006 when he defeated Derrick Noble via KO at just 1:01 of the first round. The MFC welterweight title would later be re-branded the BodogFIGHT welterweight title.
In spite of the fact that many insiders didn't view 170 pounds to be Alvarez's best competitive fighting weight, he continued to fight larger opponents because he relished the challenge of testing his mettle against bigger fighters. At Bodog Fight's "Clash of the Nations" pay per view in Russia on April 14, 2007, Alvarez's size disadvantage would be exposed, as he suffered his first career loss when he was TKO'd by UFC veteran Nick Thompson at 4:32 into round 2.
After deciding to leave Bodog, Alvarez quickly found a new home in EliteXC where he competed in their 160 pound division against Ross Ebanez, winning by TKO.
A few weeks prior to the first event, it was announced that the upstart Japanese promotion DREAM, started by the minds behind PRIDE FC and K-1 had signed Alvarez to compete in their 154 pound grand prix.
His initial fight was against Andre Amade, another potent striker, hailing from the notorious Chute Boxe Academy. During the fight, Alvarez was dropped by a strong right hand, but was able to recover and use his superior wrestling skills to score a TKO due to strikes from mount late in the first round.
Alvarez advanced to the second round of the tournament where he defeated top ranked lightweight fighter Joachim Hansen on May 11, 2008 by unanimous decision in an exciting fight. Hansen, who was known for his ability to take a punch, was dropped twice in the fight and dazed numerous other times by Alvarez's strikes.
In his fight at DREAM.5, Alvarez knocked out top ranked lightweight fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri in the tournament's semi-finals. The fight was awarded Fight of the Year by Sherdog for 2008. However, he was unable to advance in the tournament due to a cut and severe swelling under his right eye. Alvarez's replacement was Joachim Hansen, whom he defeated two months earlier. Hansen went on to win the tournament and capture the DREAM lightweight title.
Alvarez was scheduled to face UFC and PRIDE veteran Nick Diaz for the EliteXC 160 pound title on November 8, 2008. but that fight was scrapped when EliteXC's parent ProElite closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy. On New Year's Eve 2008 Alvarez fought against Shinya Aoki at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008, losing by submission in the first round. He has since been signed to an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships.
Bellator Fighting Championships
Alvarez entered Bellator's lightweight tournament at Bellator's inaugural event on April 3, 2009. He fought against Greg Loughran, who landed a left hook which caused Alvarez to buckle his legs. Alvarez survived, however, and submitted Loughran with a guillotine choke. His next fight at the tournament's semi-finals took place four weeks later at Bellator 5, against Eric Reynolds. After controlling the bout for two rounds, Alvarez used a rear naked choke to submit Reynolds in the third.
Alvarez advanced to the lightweight tournament's finals, which took place at Bellator 12 on June 19, 2009. He fought and defeated Toby Imada, via a rear naked choke submission early in the second round, to become Bellator's first ever lightweight champion.
Alvarez faced Josh Neer in a non-title "Super fight" on May 6, 2010 at Bellator 17 in which he showed great wrestling and standup to go on to defeat Neer by way of rear-naked choke at 2:08 of round 2 as the choke was so well sunk in Neer would pass out from hypoxemia.
Alvarez was supposed to fight the Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Winner Pat Curran in a defense of his title, but his opponent was pulled from the card due to an injury in his right shoulder. He instead faced Roger Huerta at Bellator 33 held in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won the fight via TKO (doctor stoppage) between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Alvarez has publicly stated he wants his next fight to be against current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion, Gilbert Melendez.
Alvarez defeated Pat Curran on April 2, 2011 via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) to retain the Bellator Lightweight Championship at Bellator 39.
Alvarez faced Michael Chandler on November 19, 2011 at Bellator 58 in what was called by many publications as the '2011 Fight of the Year'. He was defeated by Chandler by rear naked choke in the fourth round. Chandler came in very aggressive in the first round, nearly finishing Alvarez. In the third round, Alvarez landed many shots,one in particular stunning Chandler. The last round, Chandler caught Alvarez with a right hand and got on top before taking Alvarez's back and locking in the choke forcing the tap.
Alvarez faced Shinya Aoki in a rematch at Bellator 66. He won the fight via TKO in the first round after dropping Aoki and finishing him with ground and pound.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Bellator Fighting Championships
- Bellator Lightweight Championship (One time; First)
- Bellator Season 1 Lightweight Tournament Winner
- DREAM
- DREAM 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinalist
- BodogFIGHT
- BodogFIGHT Welterweight Championships (One time; First)
- Mixed Fighting Championships
- MFC Welterweight Championship (One time; First; Last)
- Yahoo! Sports
- 2011 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler on November 19
- Sports Illustrated
- 2008 Round of the Year vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri on July 21; Round 1
- Sherdog
- 2008 Fight of the Year vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri on July 21
- FIGHT! Magazine
- 2008 Fight of the Year vs. Joachim Hansen on May 11
Amateur wrestling
- National Prep School Wrestling Championships
- National Prep All-American (2000, 2001)
Mixed martial arts record
See also
- List of current mixed martial arts champions
External links
- Bellator Profile
- Professional MMA record for Eddie Alvarez from Sherdog
MMA Shirts
