Eddie Alvarez Is Due For A Big Fight – But Against Who?
Eddie Alvarez is coming off the biggest win of his career against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 188. To the shock of many, Alavarez was able to control the sloppy efforts of Melendez, edging him via split decision in Mexico.
Alvarez, the former Bellator lightweight champion, is looking to repeat the same glory of old in his new home – the UFC. If the Philadelphia native reels off one more big win, he very well could find himself fighting for the title.
Current champion Rafael Dos Anjos is fighting a nagging knee injury that he suffered in preparation for his title fight against Anthony Pettis. Most likely facing Dos Anjos next is Donald Cerrone, the man responsible for handing Alvarez a loss in his UFC debut. You can bet Alvarez is looking to avenge that loss.
Lets take a look at three potential fights for Alvarez:
1. Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis
Anthony Pettis is coming off a very lopsided loss, at the hands of Dos Anjos. Pettis looked out of whack the entire fight, and the striking advantage that many though would win him the fight did him absolutely no good.
Recent news of Alvarez being forced to miss six months of competition due to injuries he sustained against Melendez makes this matchup perfect. Pettis likes to fight once every blue moon, so it would give Alvarez plenty of time to heal. Pettis is currently ranked No.1 in the UFC lightweight rankings. A tilt between these two would for sure yield a No.1 contender for the title.
2. Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov
The Eagle is considered by many to be the best lightweight in the world. He has trained wrecked his competition in the UFC, and is looking to stake his claim on the lightweight belt. With Cerrone almost certainly being in line for the next shot at Dos Anjos, this leaves a perfect matchup with Alvarez.
Nurmagomedov tweeted about Nick Diaz recently, saying he thinks he would be easy money:
Everyone want to fight @NateDiaz209 because he easy money. I’ll be back Oct. I don’t mind making easy money. @arielhelwani@lorenzofertitta
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) June 15, 2015
Considering Alvarez has been ruled out until December at the earliest, a fight with Nurmagomedov still makes sense. If The Eagle beats Diaz (at least that is what he is asking for), it’ll give him plenty of time to recover and prepare to go to battle again. A win over Diaz at this point in his career will not vault anyone into the title picture, but it can put someone close. An early 2016 matchup between Alvarez and Nurmagomedov would certainly be intriguing.
3. Michael ‘The Menace’ Johnson
Michael Johnson is on a surge as of late. The No.7 ranked, South Florida fighter is slated to face No.14 Beneil Dariush at UFC Fight Night Nashville on August 8. If Johsnon continues his surge, and beats Dariush, he is looking at an eventual fight with a top contender.
This makes for a perfect match up with Alvarez. Johnson is a younger fighter who was inconsistent early on in his UFC career, but he is proving that he belongs at the top. Another win will make him worthy of fighting a guy like Alvarez, and for Alvarez, he’ll be looking for any fight that could lead him down the lightweight title path.
