Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler put on another epic Bellator fight that was hidden away on backdoor television while the UFC’s big names stole the show. Battling for the BFC 155-pound title, Chandler shocked a number of experts and fans, as he was able to become only the second person to defeat Alvarez in the lightweight division.
Chandler, the winner of the Bellator Season 4 lightweight tournament, was expected to be a tough challenger, yet it was his striking that caught everyone by surprise, rather than his high-level wrestling. In the first round of the bout he was able to drop Alvarez by landing a Superman punch followed by rapid-fire combinations. Alvarez quickly returned to his feet, and the two fought back and forth, but Chandler gained the upper hand once again when he rocked the defending champion for a second time in the round.
The second round was starkly different, as Chandler tried to wrestle with Alvarez, but the champion’s defensive abilities shone through, and he was able to keep the fight on the feet. While there he was able to hurt Chandler and force him to back away. In the third round Alvarez looked like an angry man, as he continued to assault Chandler, knocking him around the cage and into many bad positions. However, he was unable to finish the contender before the end of the round.
The fourth round is where everything ended, as a right hand hurt Alvarez once again. While stumbling, Chandler scored an important takedown and started pounding on the champion. In a desperate scramble, Alvarez gave up his back and allowed Chandler to sink in a tight rear naked choke. Chandler was able to force the tap out at 3:06 in the fourth round, and become the second lightweight champion in Bellator’s short history.
While the back and forth battle may be hidden away due to what happened during the UFC 139 main event, this bout is easily ranked among the best of the year and screams for a rematch. While Alvarez was scheduled to take on Japanese star Shinya Aoki in 2012, that bout should be put on hold in favor of a rematch between these two competitors, who gave the fans nothing less than an instant classic.
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