After nearly a month of rumors, anticipation, and speculation, we have finally received an official announcement regarding the future of Eddie Alvarez.
And in the words of the man himself; “The Underground King” is headed to ONE Championship. The official announcement came late Monday night via the social media accounts of ONE CEO, Chatri Sityodtong.
Please join me in welcoming Eddie Alvarez to @ONEChampionship! I am super excited for our fans to witness Eddie's high octane, explosive dynamite KO style. Stay tuned for more big news! @Ealvarezfight pic.twitter.com/bM3K0COlie
— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) October 16, 2018
The resume of Eddie Alvarez (29-6, 1NC) speaks for itself and shows exactly why he is one of the best lightweights the sport has ever seen.
Leaving the UFC ranked #4 at lightweight, Alvarez really began to make a name for himself back in 2008 under the DREAM banner. Defeating the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen and nearly being crowned the DREAM Lightweight Grand-Prix Champion. This, of course, prior to being forced out of the tournament.
The next year Alvarez found himself a new home in the world of mixed martial arts when he competed on the inaugural Bellator MMA show. He wound up staying with the promotion for nearly five years, winning a lightweight tournament to be crowned the inaugural Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion.
After amassing seven-straight wins, including some title fights and some non-title fights, Alvarez went on to lose the lightweight strap to a relatively unknown Michael Chandler in quite arguably the best fight of 2011. After this defeat, Alvarez was hell-bent to reclaim gold as he picked up two first-round mauling’s against Patricky Pitbull and Shinya Aoki before reclaiming the title from Chandler in one of the best fights of 2013. This wound up being his last appearance in a Bellator cage.
Finally, in December of 2014, Eddie Alvarez – “The Underground King” was in the UFC in a signing that sent shockwaves throughout the MMA world. Disappointingly dropping his debut against Donald Cerrone in a competitive decision loss, Alvarez went on to win two straight. One of those wins came in the form of a genuine super-fight in the eyes of hardcore fans when he defeated Gilbert Melendez.
The two big-name wins over former Strikeforce Champion Melendez and former UFC Champion Pettis earned “The Underground King” a UFC title shot, and Alvarez wound up defeating champion Rafael dos Anjos by way of a knockout early. He did not remain UFC Lightweight Champion for long, however. Losing it to Conor McGregor in his next fight.
He heads into ONE Championship with a record of 1-1 with one no contest. That one win came against former WSOF title-holder Justin Gaethje, the no contest came against Dustin Poirier, and, most recently, the defeat came at the hands of Dustin Poirier back in July.
Eddie Alvarez has made a career out of having a high-octane, explosive style that sees him constantly looking to finish foes in emphatic fashion.
The biggest signing in ONE history joins an already impressive lightweight division featuring the likes of Ev Ting, Eduard Folyang, Garry Tonon, Honorio Banario, and of course the champion; Martin Nguyen. Not to mention Shinya Aoki, a man Alvarez is currently 1-1 against.
The former UFC and Bellator champ looks to add ONE Championship gold to his collection very soon.
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 02: Eddie Alvarez celebrates after defeating Justin Gaethje in their lightweight bout during the UFC 218 event inside Little Caesars Arena on December 02, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
