Edward Alvarez (born January 11, 1984) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

and

bare-knuckle boxer Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle or bare-knuckle fighting) is a full-contact combat sport based on punching without any form of padding on the hands. The sport as it is known today originated in 17th-century England and, although s ...

who most recently competed in the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

division of BKFC. He also formerly competed in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

and

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

, and also

ONE FC ONE Championship, formerly ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) until January 2015, is a Multinational corporation, multinational combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Origi ...

winning world titles in each of the first two: the

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

once and the

Bellator Lightweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") was an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

twice. Alvarez was the first Lightweight champion in Bellator MMA. He has also competed for the Japanese

DREAM A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...

promotion, where he fought in their inaugural Lightweight Grand Prix. Alvarez also fought once for

ProElite ProElite, Inc. is an American entertainment and media company involved in the promotion of mixed martial arts (MMA). First incarnation Founded by boxing promoter Gary Shaw and his son Jared in 2006 in partnership with Showtime Networks Inc. (a ...

EliteXC Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States–based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on Decem ...

. Alvarez is the first fighter to have won championships in both

and the UFC. He holds notable wins over former world champions Pat Curran,

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler Jr. (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Chandler previously competed for Bellator MMA from 2010 ...

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler competing in ONE Championship's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT Extreme Champion. A professional competit ...

Gilbert Melendez Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightwei ...

Justin Gaethje Justin Ray Gaethje (; born November 14, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, he is a former UFC Interim ...

Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...

Eduard Folayang Eduard Ayangwa Folayang (born November 22, 1983) is a Filipino professional mixed martial artist and wushu practitioner who competes in the Lightweight division of ONE Championship, where he is a two-time ONE Lightweight World Ch ...

Patricky Freire Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally as Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Lightweight division. He most notably competed for Bellator MMA, where he was a former Bellator Lightwe ...

and

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born 26 October 1984), also known by his initials RDA, is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...

Fight Matrix Fight Matrix is a mixed martial arts ranking system portal. It is one of the sport's most recognized ranking websites. Software According to website, "The rankings on this site are software generated, produced by a proprietary engine (CIRRS � ...

ranks him #4 ''All-Time Lightweight'' in the world (behind

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...

and B.J. Penn).

Early life

Edward Alvarez was born on January 11, 1984, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, to Louis and Lillian Alvarez. He is of Puerto Rican and Irish descent. He started boxing at Front Street Gym at the age of eight under his father and Frank Kubach. At the age of 11, Alvarez started wrestling in a youth wrestling program. He went to

Northeast Catholic High School Northeast Catholic High School opened in 1926 as Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, and was located at 1842 East Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was under the administration of the high school system of the Roman Catho ...

, excelling and becoming a varsity letterman in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

and track. Despite receiving partial scholarship offers to wrestle in various colleges after graduating in 2001, he decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. Alvarez has a younger brother, Albert, who is a former mixed martial artist.

Mixed martial arts career

Alvarez claims to have fought over 100 unsanctioned bouts before starting as a professional fighter as there were no amateur fights available. He paid $250 for a slot in Ring of Combat 5 to start his professional mixed martial arts career in 2003. Alvarez won the MFC Welterweight Championship in his seventh professional fight in June 2006, when he defeated Derrick Noble via KO at 1:01 of the first round. The MFC Welterweight Championship would later be re-branded the BodogFIGHT Welterweight Championship. In spite of the fact that many insiders did not consider 170 pounds to be Alvarez's best competitive fighting weight, he continued to fight larger opponents, as he relished testing his mettle against bigger fighters. At Bodog Fight's "Clash of the Nations" pay per view in Russia on April 14, 2007, Alvarez's size disadvantage would be exposed, as he suffered his first career loss when he was TKO'd by UFC veteran Nick Thompson at 4:32 into round 2. After deciding to leave Bodog, Alvarez signed with EliteXC. He competed in their 160-pound division against Ross Ebanez, winning by TKO. A few weeks prior to the first event, it was announced that the Japanese promotion

, started by the minds behind

PRIDE FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

and

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

had signed Alvarez to compete in their 154-pound grand prix. His first fight was against Andre Amade, who hailed from the

Chute Boxe Academy The Chute Boxe Academy (; "Kick-Boxing") is a Brazilian martial arts academy. It opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Head trainer Rudimar Fedrigo later expanded the program in 1991 to include other aspects of mode ...

. Alvarez won via TKO due to strikes late in the first round. Alvarez advanced to the second round of the tournament, where he defeated top-ranked Lightweight fighter Joachim Hansen on May 11, 2008, by

unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...

. In his fight at the Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round, Alvarez knocked out top-ranked Lightweight fighter

Tatsuya Kawajiri is a Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division. He is a former List of Shooto champions#Lightweight Championship, Shooto Lightweight Champion, and has also competed in the Ult ...

in the tournament's semi-finals. The fight was awarded Fight of the Year by

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

for 2008. However, he was unable to advance in the tournament due to a cut and severe swelling under his right eye. Alvarez's replacement was Joachim Hansen, whom he defeated two months earlier. Hansen went on to win the tournament and capture the DREAM lightweight title. Alvarez was scheduled to face UFC and PRIDE veteran

Nick Diaz Nicholas Robert Diaz (born August 2, 1983) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diaz is a former Strikeforce, WEC and ...

for the EliteXC 160 pound title on November 8, 2008. However, the fight was canceled when EliteXC's parent

filed for bankruptcy. On New Year's Eve 2008, Alvarez fought

at K-1

Dynamite!! 2008 ''Dynamite!! 2008'' was the annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 & DREAM on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It featured eleven DREAM mixed martial arts rules fights ...

, losing by submission in the first round. He was subsequently signed to an exclusive contract with

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from '' bellātor'', the Latin word for "warrior". Bellato ...

Bellator Fighting Championships

Alvarez entered

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

's lightweight tournament at Bellator's inaugural event on April 3, 2009. He fought Northern Irishman Greg Loughran, whom he submitted with a

guillotine choke The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compared to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...

. His next fight at the tournament's semi-finals took place four weeks later at

Bellator 5 2009 in Bellator MMA was the first installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started broadcasting April 3, 2009, through an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. The episodes had a one-day ...

, against Eric Reynolds. After controlling the bout for two rounds, Alvarez used a rear-naked choke to submit Reynolds in the third. Alvarez advanced to the lightweight tournament's finals, which took place at

Bellator 12 2009 in Bellator MMA was the first installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started broadcasting April 3, 2009, through an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. The episodes had a one-day ...

on June 19, 2009. He fought and defeated

Toby Imada Timoteo Tobias "Toby" Imada (born April 20, 1978) is a retired American mixed martial artist, grappler and kickboxer of Japanese and Mexican descent. A professional from 1998 until 2013, Imada competed for Bellator, King of the Cage, and the R ...

, via a

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...

submission early in the second round, to become Bellator's first ever lightweight champion. Alvarez faced

Josh Neer Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. N ...

in a non-title "Super fight" on May 6, 2010, at Bellator 17, in which he defeated Neer via rear-naked choke at 2:08 of round 2. Alvarez was supposed to fight the Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Winner Pat Curran in a defense of his title, but his opponent was pulled from the card due to an injury in his right shoulder. He instead faced

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

Bellator 33 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010, and ended on June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight ...

held in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won the fight via TKO (doctor stoppage) between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Alvarez then publicly stated that he wanted his next fight to be against the

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games *Strike Force (video game), ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *''Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *' ...

Lightweight Champion,

. Alvarez defeated Pat Curran on April 2, 2011, via unanimous decision (49–46, 50–45, 50–45) to retain the Bellator Lightweight Championship at

Bellator 39 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

. Alvarez faced

on November 19, 2011, at

Bellator 58 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feat ...

in what was called by many publications as the '2011 Fight of the Year'. He was defeated by Chandler by rear naked choke in the fourth round. Chandler came in very aggressive in the first round, nearly finishing Alvarez. Alvarez faced

in a rematch at Bellator 66. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Alvarez faced

at Bellator 76, and defeated Freire in the first round via KO. This was the last fight on Alvarez's contract with Bellator and he passed the organization's contractual period of exclusive negotiation. Alvarez agreed in principle to signing with the UFC, reportedly including a share of pay-per-view revenue in addition to show and win money. Bellator, however, invoked a clause in the original contract to match the UFC's offer and re-sign Alvarez, matching the show and win purse and alleging that the pay-per-view cut in the UFC's offer to be strictly hypothetical. Alvarez and his management subsequently filed two lawsuits against Bellator. On August 13, 2013, it was announced that Alvarez and Bellator had reached an agreement regarding his contract status. Alvarez faced

on November 2, 2013, at

Bellator 106 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. He won via split decision in a close fight to become the

Bellator Lightweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") was an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

for the second time. Much like the first time they met, Alvarez and Chandler engaged in another highly praised, back and forth battle. In the early rounds, Alvarez's jab and punching combinations found their home, damaging the left eye of Chandler, while Chandler was able to land multiple take down attempts and slams, and threatened a rear naked choke. The third round saw Eddie land with some crisp combinations. In the fourth round, Chandler landed a flying knee and some brutal ground and pound which hurt Eddie. By the fifth round, both fighters were busted up and bleeding badly. Chandler caught Alvarez in a neck crank, but Alvarez escaped and nearly finished the fight two times with rear-naked choke attempts. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney called the fight the best he'd ever seen. The decision was not without some controversy, with several media outlets scoring the fight for Chandler. Rebney stated in the post fight press conference that the two would meet again in a rubber match, possibly on pay-per-view, once they both have recuperated. A third fight with

was set up for the main event of

Bellator 120 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight ...

on May 17, 2014. However, a week before the fight, it was announced that Alvarez had suffered a concussion and was forced to pull out of the fight. In August 2014, new Bellator MMA president

Scott Coker Scott Coker (born October 3, 1962) is an American mixed martial artist, Taekwondoin, former movie stuntman, and combat sports promoter. He is the founder and former CEO of MMA promotion Strikeforce, former president of Bellator MMA, and founder o ...

announced that Alvarez had been released from his contract with the promotion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On August 19, 2014, the UFC announced that they had signed Alvarez to a contract. He made his promotional debut against fan favorite and top contender

Donald Cerrone Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...

in the co-main event at

UFC 178 ''UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 27, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was supposed to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch bet ...

on September 27, 2014. Despite absorbing several flurries of clinch strikes from Alvarez through the first round, Cerrone recovered from a slow start and ended up controlling the rest of the fight with leg kicks that eventually hurt Alvarez. Alvarez lost the fight via a unanimous decision. Alvarez was expected to face

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Lightweight division for Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. H ...

on January 18, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 59 ''UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 59'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 18, 2015, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background The event was headlined by a featherweight bout between ...

. However, Alvarez pulled out of the bout and was replaced by

. Alvarez faced

on June 13, 2015, at

UFC 188 ''UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 13, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification bout between current cham ...

. Alvarez won the fight by split decision. Alvarez faced

on January 17, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 81 ''UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 81'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 17, 2016, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background A UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between defending c ...

. Despite being a heavy underdog going into the fight Alvarez was able to pressure and control Pettis. Alvarez won the fight by split decision.

UFC Lightweight Champion

In his fourth UFC fight, Alvarez faced

on July 7, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 90 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 90'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 7, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was the first of three events in as man ...

for the

. Despite being a three-to-one underdog going into the fight, Alvarez found his range early and rocked dos Anjos with a right hand just past the halfway point of the first round. He then swarmed dos Anjos and landed a barrage of unanswered punches before the fight was stopped via TKO. The win also earned Alvarez his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Alvarez made his first title defense against the then UFC Featherweight Champion

Conor McGregor Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...

on November 12, 2016, at

UFC 205 ''UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In what was described by UFC president Dana White as t ...

in Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was a historic event for the UFC as it was the first UFC event in New York since the lifting of the state's long-standing ban on MMA. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round, after being outstruck in the first round.

Post-championship

In his first fight after losing the Lightweight title, Alvarez faced

Dustin Poirier Dustin Glenn Poirier (born January 19, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. ...

on May 13, 2017, at

UFC 211 ''UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 13, 2017, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the fourth that the UFC has host ...

. Poirier rocked Alvarez in the second round, but was subsequently dropped when Alvarez landed two illegal knees while Poirier was against the fence. With the Texas commission not operating under the new unified rules, referee Herb Dean declared the fight a No Contest as he did not believe Alvarez knew Poirier was a grounded opponent at the time. In July 2017, it was announced that Alvarez would be a coach on ''

The Ultimate Fighter 26 ''The Ultimate Fighter 26'' (also known as '' The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion'') is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. Tryouts were announced on May ...

'' against former WSOF Lightweight Champion

. A bout with Gaethje took place on December 2, 2017, at

UFC 218 ''UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 2, 2017, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Background After previously contesting two events in ...

. Alvarez won the fight via knockout in the third round. The fight earned both participants the Fight of the Night bonus award. In the last fight of his UFC contract, Alvarez faced

on July 28, 2018, in a rematch in the main event at

UFC on Fox 30 ''UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 30'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 28, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Background The ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

ONE Championship

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Alvarez signed with

ONE Championship ONE Championship, formerly ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) until January 2015, is a Multinational corporation, multinational combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Origi ...

, set to make his promotional debut some time in early 2019 as part of their Lightweight division. On November 7, 2018, it was announced that Alvarez would be one of eight participants in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix. On December 19, 2018, it was announced that Alvarez faced Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE Championship: A New Era on March 31, 2019, in promotion's inaugural event in Japan. He lost the fight by TKO in the first round. Alvarez returned at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes on August 2, 2019, against former ONE lightweight champion

. He won the fight via first round rear-naked choke after being dropped by a leg kick early in the round. Alvarez was expected to face Saygid Arslaniev in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix final, but on September 26, 2019, news surfaced that he had to withdraw from the bout due to an injury. He was replaced by ONE Lightweight Champion Christian Lee. The bout with Arslaniev was to be rebooked for ONE Infinity 2 on June 26, 2020, but canceled due to the

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports The COVID-19 pandemic caused the most significant disruption to the 2020 in sports, worldwide sporting calendar since World War II. Across the world and to varying degrees, sports events were cancelled or postponed. The 2020 Summer Olympics in ...

. Alvarez faced former ONE lightweight title challenger Iuri Lapicus at ONE on TNT 1 on April 7, 2021. The event took place in Singapore and aired in a

primetime Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to b ...

slot in the United States on

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

. He was disqualified after repeatedly throwing punches to the back of Lapicus's head. The call to disqualify Alvarez was considered controversial by multiple outlets and professional fighters as it appeared he was striking Lapicus's ear before Lapicus started turning his head. Alvarez appealed the final decision and the result was later overturned to a no contest. Three weeks after his last bout, Alvarez faced Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 on April 28, 2021. He lost a close bout via unanimous decision. On September 21, 2022, it was announced that Alvarez had agreed to be released from his contract with ONE Championship.

Bare-knuckle boxing career

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

On March 1, 2023, it was announced by BKFC president Dave Feldman that Alvarez had signed with

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. The promotion was founded in April 2018, and is presided over by David Feldman. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official st ...

. He made his debut against

Chad Mendes Chad Eduardo Mendes (born May 1, 1985)Archived
from th ...

at BKFC 41 on April 29, 2023, and won by split decision. This fight earned him the ''Fight of the Night'' award. Alvarez faced Mike Perry on December 2, 2023, at BKFC 56 for the symbolic "King of Violence" championship and lost by corner stoppage after the second round. Alvarez faced

Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Dean Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer and professional boxer, who currently competes in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...

at BKFC Knucklemania 5 on January 25, 2025. He lost the fight by technical knockout via corner stoppage at the end of the third round.

Personal life

Alvarez married his high school sweetheart, Jamie, in 2008. They have three sons and a daughter. Alvarez utilized his financial success to move his family out of

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

and into Southampton, PA following the birth of his first son. Alvarez made two appearances on the television show

Bully Beatdown ''Bully Beatdown'' is an American reality television series created by Mark Burnett (executive producer), Mark Burnett that aired on MTV. In each episode, show host Jason Miller (fighter), Jason "Mayhem" Miller challenged bullies to fight agains ...

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

, where he knocked out both of his opponents.

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

*National Prep School Wrestling Championships **National Prep All-American (2000, 2001)

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(One time) **

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time) ** Fight of the Night (One time) **UFC.com Awards ***2017: Ranked #2 Fight of the Year *

(Two times; First) ***One successful title defense ** Bellator Season 1 Lightweight Tournament Winner *BodogFIGHT **BodogFIGHT Welterweight Championship (One time; First) *Mixed Fighting Championships **MFC Welterweight Championship (One time; First; Last; Only) *Reality Fighting **Reality Fighting Welterweight Championship (One time; First) *FIGHT! Magazine **2008 Fight of the Year vs. Joachim Hansen on May 11 *

Inside MMA ''Inside MMA'' was a live mixed martial arts news magazine, which aired on AXS TV, immediately following the network's live AXS TV Fights broadcasts. Hosted by Mauro Ranallo and UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the series provided an in-depth lo ...

**2008 Fight of the Year Bazzie Award vs. Joachim Hansen on May 11 *FightBooth.com **2012 King of Violence Award * fightmatrix.com **Lineal MMA Lightweight Championship (Two times) *

** 2008 Fight of the Year vs.

on July 21 *

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

**2008 Round of the Year vs.

on July 21 *

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...

**2011 Fight of the Year vs.

on November 19 *MMADNA.nl **2017 Fight of the Year vs.

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

**2015 Comeback of the Year vs.

**2017 Fight of the Year vs.

Bare-knuckle boxing

** Fight of the Night (One time) vs.

Chad Mendes Chad Eduardo Mendes (born May 1, 1985)Archived
from th ...

** Fight of the Year (2023) (vs.

Chad Mendes Chad Eduardo Mendes (born May 1, 1985)Archived
from th ...

)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 30–8 (2) ,

Ok Rae-yoon Ok Rae-yoon (, born March 23, 1991) is a South Korean mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of ONE Championship. He is a former ONE Lightweight World Champion. Mixed martial arts career Early career Ok started his ...

, Decision (unanimous) , ONE on TNT 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kallang Kallang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential zone located in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the l ...

, Singapore , , - , NC , align=center, 30–7 (2) , Iuri Lapicus , NC (overturned) , ONE on TNT 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 30–7 (1) ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , ONE: Dawn of Heroes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:16 ,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...

, Philippines , , - , Loss , align=center, 29–7 (1) , Timofey Nastyukhin , TKO (punches) , ONE: A New Era , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:05 ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 29–6 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:05 ,

Calgary, Alberta Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 29–5 (1) ,

, KO (knee) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:59 ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, ,

, NC (illegal knees) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:12 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–5 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:04 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 28–4 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–4 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–4 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–3 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–3 ,

Patricky Pitbull Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally as Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Lightweight division. He most notably competed for Bellator MMA, where he was a former Bellator Lightwei ...

, KO (head kick) , Bellator 76 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:54 ,

Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 23–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 66 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–2 , Pat Curran , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–2 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 ,

, Technical Submission (standing rear-naked choke) , Bellator 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:08 ,

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 ,

Katsunori Kikuno is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He was the former DEEP Lightweight Champion. Background Kikuno started his martial arts training with judo when he was in high school, and was able to take third place in the Kyushu 66 kg tournament and ...

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Dream 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:42 ,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:34 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Eric Reynolds , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:30 ,

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 , Greg Loughran , Submission (guillotine choke) ,

Bellator 1 2009 in Bellator MMA was the first installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started broadcasting April 3, 2009, through an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. The episodes had a one-day ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:44 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–2 ,

, Submission (heel hook) , Fields Dynamite!! 2008 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 7:35 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Joachim Hansen , Decision (unanimous) , Dream 3: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Second Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Andre Amade , TKO (punches) , Dream 1: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 First Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 6:47 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Ross Ebañez , KO (punches) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:32 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Matt Lee , Decision (unanimous) , BodogFight: Alvarez vs. Lee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–1 , Nick Thompson , TKO (punches) , BodogFight: Clash of the Nations , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:32 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Scott Henze , TKO (corner stoppage) , BodogFight: Costa Rica Combat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:13 , Playa Tambor, Costa Rica , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,

Aaron Riley Aaron Riley (born December 9, 1980) is a retired American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 1997 to 2013, he has also formerly compete ...

, KO (punches) , BodogFight: USA vs. Russia , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Hidenobu Koike , TKO (punches) , MARS 4: New Deal , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Derrick Noble , KO (punches) , MFC: Russia vs. USA , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:01 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Daisuke Hanazawa , TKO (punches) , Euphoria: USA vs. Japan , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Danil Veselov , TKO (punches) , Euphoria: USA vs. Russia , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:15 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 ,

Seichi Ikemoto is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is a veteran of Shooto, PRIDE and DEEP. His specialty is a "double punch", in which he puts his hands together and throws them at his opponent. Biography and career Ikemoto is a ...

, TKO (punches) , Euphoria: USA vs. The World , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Chris Schlesinger , Submission (guillotine choke) , Reality Fighting 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Adam Fearon , TKO (submission to punches) , Ring of Combat 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Dean Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer and professional boxer, who currently competes in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...

, TKO (corner stoppage) , BKFC Knucklemania V , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Mike Perry , TKO (corner stoppage) , BKFC 56 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

Chad Mendes Chad Eduardo Mendes (born May 1, 1985)Archived
from th ...

, Decision (split) , BKFC 41 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county located in the United States, U.S. Colorado, state of Colorado. It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sect ...

, United States , , -

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Eddie 1984 births Living people American people of Irish descent American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Lightweight mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing catch wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Bellator MMA champions Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu ONE Championship mixed martial artists

Early life

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator Fighting Championships

Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC Lightweight Champion

Post-championship

ONE Championship

Bare-knuckle boxing career

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Bare-knuckle boxing

Mixed martial arts record

See also

Notes

References

External links