Issue 064

July 2010

From his hometown of Philadelphia to Osaka, Japan, Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is known the world over. 

Alvarez showed everyone just why he’s the champ by picking up a swift second-round submission over the tough Josh Neer in his most recent battle inside the cage. It was important to Alvarez to perform well in his superfight, and not just to validate his title. Many of his friends and family made the trip to Boston for Bellator XVII, and he not only wanted to give them a good show, but do them proud. “I made a good name for myself [in Japan] so it was important to me to receive the same kind of recognition in my country,” he says. “In Japan, they call me ‘American Knuckle Star’.” 

A fitting title for a slugger from Philly who was able to win his first ten fights with his fists. Since losing by submission to Shinya Aoki, Alvarez has turned his reputation around with six consecutive submission wins. These days his opponents don’t know what ending to look out for. 

“I let people list me under whatever fighting style they want. Doesn’t matter to me,” says Alvarez. “They used to write down wrestling and I started winning by knockout. Then, they put down boxing for a while. Now, I got like five or six wins by submission. So people can label it whatever they want to – I’ll just keep surprising them.” 

The fight was one-sided but entertaining for the parade of fans wearing Alvarez shirts; many of them sat as close as 15 feet from the cage. The champ took the veteran Neer down in their non-title fight and made him look like a rookie, pummeling his face until he turned over and gave up his back. Neer mustered up enough energy to stand, but couldn’t escape the submission. His only option left was whether or not to tap. Alvarez decided for him – he squeezed even tighter, and seconds later the pair fell to the mat. Alvarez walked away the winner, Neer went to sleep.  

Neer came to the fight ready for war, but it seemed Alvarez had other plans: Get in, get out and go home with his head held high. “The main thing that a fighter has to be willing to give up to be able to step in the cage is his ego,” he says. “There’s always going to be someone faster; there’s always going to be someone stronger. I win because I’m the most afraid. I’m more afraid than my opponents and that’s why I prepare the way I prepare for fights.” 

For a fighter who claims he is the most afraid, Alvarez has looked unshakeable for the last year and a half, and with a solid combination of knockout power, All-American wrestling and world-class submissions, what does a fighter have to do to beat him? 

“I ain’t going to tell him,” Alvarez grins. “He’s going to have to figure that out for himself.”