Eddie Alvarez has finally obtained what he’s wanted for the last few years: freedom from his Bellator MMA contract. The Bellator lightweight champion was released from the organization on Tuesday and almost immediately scooped up by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The fight with Donald Cerrone that had been rumored for weeks was off, but now it’s back on again, as the two will square off at UFC 178. This is a moment that mixed martial arts fans have been waiting for for a long time, as Alvarez has been considered one of the best fighters, regardless of weight class, competing outside of the Octagon for quite a while. Now his moment has come, as he gets the opportunity to prove that he’s one of the best fighters in the world on the largest stage in the sport.
News broke a few weeks ago that Bellator and the UFC were in talks to find a way to make Alvarez available for UFC 178. This was before the event was rocked when Jon Jones was forced to pull out of the main event. Fans lamented, because interest in the card would have still experienced a strong boost with the presence of Alvarez on the card. However, it seemed that it wasn’t meant to be, as the UFC had booked Cerrone to face the surging Bobby Green instead. But on Tuesday afternoon it was reported that Bellator had granted Alvarez his unconditional release, paving the way for the Philadelphia native to sign with the UFC.
It will be interesting to see the impact that Alvarez will have on both the UFC 178 card and the lightweight division as a whole. Alvarez has long been considered one of the top-ranked lightweights in the sport, but it’s well-known that much of the UFC’s fanbase is oblivious to action that occurs outside of the eight-sided cage. Alvarez has put together an impressive resume that includes wins over fighters such as Michael Chandler, Shinya Aoki, Pat Curran, Patricky Freire, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. But he still may be an unknown entity to mainstream fans. That could all change, however, with a strong performance against the fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
This is perfect pairing, as it will give Alvarez a tough test to welcome him to the brightest stage in the sport, while at the same time, creating a style matchup that should lead to a highly exciting contest. Cerrone has become known for an aggressive and diverse striking style that can put away an opponent in a flash. Alvarez uses crisp boxing to overwhelm his opponents with combinations, but also backs it up with effective wrestling and ground and pound. Fans should expect 15 minutes of action, but do not be surprised if this contest were to end in a flash. According to MMA Oddsbreaker, the opening betting odds have Cerrone as a slight favorite at -130 while Alvarez is a +110 underdog. However, those odds could change as more of the mainstream fanbase becomes aware of Alvarez’s past performances.
Alvarez has been in some must-win positions before, such as his rematch against Chandler at Bellator 106. Yet this fight against Cerrone may be the most important of his career. The UFC lightweight division is one of the deeper, if not the deepest, divisions in the sport. Now is not the time for Alvarez to fade. He needs a strong performance in order to set the stage for a run towards the title. And if he can put Cerrone away quickly in dominant fashion, you can expect his name to vault up the UFC rankings. However, a loss would significantly reduce all the momentum that he’s built up, and he will find himself in the middle of the pack, with a number of other dangerous opponents waiting to send him packing from the promotion.
Eddie Alvarez has fought both in the cage and in the courtroom for this moment. Donald Cerrone will welcome him into the shark tank that is the UFC lightweight division, and add a new storyline to a UFC 178 card that was already full of them. Although the main event has changed, the addition of Eddie Alvarez in the semi-main creates a new dynamic for the event. It will be a proving ground, as one of the best outside the Octagon finally makes his way into the most important cage in the sport.
• Eddie Alvarez vs. Donald Cerrone
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UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso (formerly UFC 178: Jones vs. Cormier, UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson II) is due to take place on September 27, 2014 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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