Bellator 58
Nov. 19, 2011 | Hollywood, Calif.
Longtime Bellator MMA lightweight champion Alvarez turned into a special fighter during his initial run in the promotion. His mixture of sharp boxing, slick wrestling and big power in his hands carried him through to victories in his first six fights, but his consistent vulnerability -- Alvarez got rocked in nearly every outing -- made him must-see TV. No matter how good he was or how dominating the final result, Alvarez always managed to make things interesting.
Standing across the cage from Alvarez was undefeated prospect Chandler, who had garnered All-American honors during his time as a wrestler at the University of Missouri. Chandler was a bundle of explosive athleticism and power with a developing game; he was thought to be a stiff test for Alvarez, but the champion was a comfortable favorite heading into the bout.
Chandler changed that in the opening frame of the fight, dropping Alvarez with a brutal combination less than 15 seconds in. Referee Troy Waugh nearly called a halt, but Alvarez somehow recovered and may have won the first round but for another late flurry by Chandler. Alvarez got back on track in the second, putting together smooth body-head and punch-kick combinations while Chandler continued to land his own single shots. The third belonged mostly to Alvarez, as well, as he flurried near the cage and nearly finished the bloodied and battered Chandler on several different occasions.
The dynamic of the fight changed early in the fourth. Alvarez was throwing and landing, but he was clearly tired, and his head movement and angles mostly ceased. Chandler was still there, landing his own shots and capitalizing on the champion’s suspect defense. The turning point came when the challenger landed a series of hard right hands that sent Alvarez cartwheeling backward to the canvas, while Chandler jumped on top, passed, and got the back. He locked in the rear-naked choke, and the rest was history.
The two men would meet again, but their first matchup stands as one of the all-time great fights.
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