.@joerogan and @madflavor react to @Ealvarezfight vs. RDA. Fucking classic pic.twitter.com/VIMhdAkztA
— shanktark (@Vidtester2222) July 8, 2016
Eddie Alvarez has been one of the top lightweights in the world for at least the last seven or eight years, but the former Bellator and current UFC lightweight champ was consistently dismissed for being at the top of smaller organizations. In retrospect, he’s had an incredible run in Japan, saw Bellator grow on the back of his title run, and has wins over multiple generations of top fighters. But still, the UFC alluded him. Even when he actually signed with them in 2012.
It took a drawn-out lawsuit, over a year without fighting, and nearly all of Eddie’s money to get him into the UFC. He revealed last night that he was near broke when Bellator’s lawsuit was finally settled and he could fight again (and Alvarez’s victory over Michael Chandler alone was dramatic). What makes Eddie Alvarez’s win over Rafael dos Anjos so special is Eddie’s journey to the UFC.
Eddie has entertained fight fans for years if they knew where to look, and for the people who stayed up until 3 a.m. to watch him fight in Japan, this was for them. That’s why Joey Diaz is losing his mind. That, and Philadelphia, motherf*ckers.