The lightweight division is considered by the mixed martial arts community to be one of the toughest divisions in which to compete. While the bulk of the best fighters compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a few top fighters, such as Michael Chandler, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez, and Shinya Aoki, compete in other organizations around the world. Bellator Fighting Championships has placed two of these names together for a highly anticipated rematch on April 20th at Bellator 66.
Aoki vs. Alvarez II is a fight that has been in the works for an extended period of time. Even before Alvarez’ Bellator lightweight title defense against Chandler at BFC 58 this past November, talks were in the works to bring the Japanese star into Bellator’s cage. Though Alvarez lost the title in one of the best fights from 2011, the door remained open for Bellator to create a “super fight” within the organization.
These two competitors first met on December 31st, 2008 at the K-1 Dynamite end of year event. Aoki was able to quickly secure a heel hook and force the submission at 1:32 of the first round, handing Alvarez his first defeat at lightweight, and only the second defeat of his career. Since then both competitors have continued to cement their places among the top lightweights in the world, as they have dominated their respective organizations.
Aoki is riding a seven-fight win streak since suffering a one-sided defeat at the hands of Melendez at Strikeforce: Nashville. The Japanese star has even returned to America to quickly submit Lyle Beerbohm with a sickening neck crank at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, showing that not all Japanese stars will wilt when facing off against their American counterparts. The former Shooto middleweight champion and current DREAM lightweight champion has built a 30-5 record during his near nine-year career.
Alvarez’s defeat to the underdog Chandler was nearly enough to remove him from the organization, but a last minute contract was agreed upon beforehand. At 22-3, Alvarez has put together a run in Bellator that has helped him remain a top five ranked lightweight for the last number of years. His resume includes such big names as Tatsuya Kawajiri, Roger Huerta, Pat Curran, and Aaron Riley. He had an opportunity to leave BFC and sign an agreement with the Zuffa owned UFC, but instead choose to return to Bellator to fight Aoki, and potentially set up a rematch for the 155-pound title.
Aoki-Alvarez is a very interesting stylistic matchup. Everyone who watched saw the way that Melendez was able to bully Aoki around the Strikeforce Hexagon, forcing him to fight a grinding, wrestler’s style MMA battle while staying away from Aoki’s dangerous ground game. Melendez’ ability to do so caused people to question how well Aoki’s style would fare in “American” MMA competition, but then he returned to fight Beerbohm with an aggressive attack and score a highlight reel submission. The question is whether or not Alvarez will be able to replicate the style that Melendez used to defeat him. Pushing forward with strikes is very important, but Alvarez has to be able to stuff the takedown attempts that will come right afterwards. Going to the ground is a dangerous game to play with Aoki, as he has proven adept at bending limbs beyond their normal bounds. If Alvarez can avoid the takedowns while muscling the Japanese star around the cage I believe he will be able to earn a decision victory, but if this fight goes to the ground for an extended period of time, Aoki may add another submission victory to his ledger.
Aoki-Alvarez also holds important ramifications for how Bellator will find the next challenger for its lightweight champion. The organization is known for sticking to its tournament format to determine the top contenders for their champions. However, Aoki and Alvarez both carry enough weight as big names in the sport that they may be able to supplant this tradition. On the other hand, if they put on a great fight, the voices calling for them to join the UFC’s lightweight division may grow, building their earning potential over the next few years. Either way, this is an important fight that will build the career of the eventual winner.
