After 2 years of trying, the UFC has finally got their hands on Eddie Alvarez. The company originally offered Alvarez a contract in 2012, however, Bellator claimed they matched the offer. After a long lay off, Alvarez finally decided to fight for Bellator, most recently defeating Michael Chandler in 2013.
Tuesday morning he was released by Bellator and by the afternoon, he was scheduled to fight fighter of the year candidate, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, at UFC 178. Cerrone currently has 4 wins in 2014, most recently defeating Jim Miller by KO with an expertly executed head kick. Cowboy is not one to back down from a fight and looks to be a huge test for Alvarez in his Octagon debut.
After losing a large PPV draw in Jon Jones versus Daniel Cormier, this co-main event will definitely spark a lot of interest. While not a fight of the same magnitude, both fighters have huge fan bases; Cerrone being the favorite due to his “anyone, anytime” fight style. Each lightweight has a lot to lose from this. Alvarez does not want to lose his first fight for the UFC, while Cerrone does not want to be derailed on his track to the title. This will be a fight you don’t want to miss. UFC 178 just got a lot more interesting.
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