Tag: Eddie Alvarez

Mike Perry calls Eddie Alvarez ‘easy work’; Alvarez warns not to underestimate him at BKFC 56

Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez trade jabs ahead of their BKFC clash on Dec. 2.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] is confident he has an edge over [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] ahead of their bareknuckle clash, but Alvarez thinks Perry is making a big mistake underestimating him.

The two fan-favorite fighters meet in the main event of BKFC 56 on Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City. It’s a highly anticipated bout, as both Perry and Alvarez are two known brawlers in the MMA world, and both have managed to carry that over into bareknuckle boxing.

Perry expects to put in a good show for the fans, but does believe Alvarez is overmatched heading into the contest.

“There’s only one way to win this fight, and that’s easy work, putting my knuckles on his face,” Perry told MMA Junkie Radio.

Alvarez says the opposite about Perry and expects a hard fight.

“He’s going to be tough, he’s going to be tough,” Alvarez said in the same interview. “The guy takes shots and keeps coming. I’m never going to call the guy easy work. I think that was silly to call me easy work, but we’ll see. Maybe that’s how he truly feels, considering his training regimen and who he’s going against and whatever.

“I don’t think he’s going to be easy work. I do see holes in his game and things I can exploit, and so do my coaches, obviously. We called for this fight, so I got what I wanted. Come December 2, we’re going to make it work. We’re going to exploit them holes, we’re going to do big things. This can go a whole different way, but I’m not by any means looking forward to an easy night. I don’t expect any of this sh*t to be easy.”

On paper, Perry does have a few glaring advantages. For one, he’s the bigger man, having fought most of his career at welterweight and Alvarez at lightweight. Additionally, Perry has had three bareknuckle fights and a mixed-rules boxing fight since leaving MMA behind, while Alvarez is coming off his debut in bareknuckle boxing where he defeated fellow veteran Chad Mendes.

“I just feel like he doesn’t know what he’s up against,” Perry said. “I don’t understand how he thinks his boxing form what he did with Chad is going to transfer against me.”

Alvarez may not have the same amount of experience or size, but he feels if the past is any indicator of the future, Perry should have a tough out in December.

“He’s saying easy money, but he hasn’t had an easy fight besides Luke Rockhold,” Alvarez said. “And before them two, he lost a whole plethora of fights before them two. He hasn’t had an easy fight. I think he’s saying easy money because he wants an easy fight, but he hasn’t had an easy fight in a while. Besides Luke Rockhold, all his fights have been tough. He takes a lot of damage. He takes a lot of shots. They haven’t been easy.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420038933]

‘I’m about to beat the sh*t out of you’: Eddie Alvarez, Mike Perry verbally spar before BKFC 56 showdown

One thing seems certain: It will NOT suck when former UFC standouts Eddie Alvarez and Mike Perry throw hands at BKFC 56.

[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] have about six weeks until they put hands on each other, but the verbal warfare has already begun.

Alvarez, a former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion, and Perry, a former UFC welterweight standout, are set to punch each other in the face when they meet in a bareknuckle boxing match that headlines a stacked BKFC 56 card on Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City.

On Monday, Alvarez and Perry sat down with MMA Junkie Radio for a joint interview and, as you’d expect, things got interesting, with both men firing salvos at each other.

“You’re gonna have a lot to deal with,” Alvarez told Perry. “It’s gonna be something different than you’ve ever felt. You might question yourself inside of the fight.”

Perry responded: “I’m about to beat the sh*t out of you. Easy work, no problem. You’re right: It’s gonna be different. … This one is gonna be different in the fact that it’s the easiest one ever, and I’m just gonna shut you down.”

The conversation between Alvarez and Perry went on like this for almost 20 minutes, which you can watch in the video above.

[lawrence-related id=2639093,2573839,2639091]

Former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez vs. Mike Perry to headline stacked BKFC 56 event

Multiple title fights and matchups between former UFC stars, including Eddie Alvarez vs. Mike Perry, are set for BKFC 56 in december.

BKFC is putting together a stacked December event headlined by two former UFC stars, along with three title fights.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] in the headlining bout at 175 pounds at BKFC 56 on Dec. 2. The event will take place at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. BKFC president David Feldman announced the news on The MMA Hour.

Alvarez (1-0 BKFC) made his bareknuckle debut in April, against fellow UFC veteran Chad Mendes in the co-headliner of BKFC 41. It was a very competitive bout in which both fighters scored knockdowns. The judges would have their say and declared Alvarez the winner by a thin split decision result.

Perry (3-0 BKFC) has quickly become one of the biggest stars in bareknuckle boxing after his exit from the UFC in 2021. After defeating Julian Lane by unanimous decision in his BKFC debut, “Platinum” went on to win an incredible battle against Michael Page at BKFC 27, and then stop former UFC champion Luke Rockhold by second-round TKO in the main event of BKFC 41.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyjLW52JyEB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Also announced for the card is a heavyweight matchup between another pair of UFC veterans. Ben Rothwell, who is undefeated through two bareknuckle bouts, will take on Todd Duffee in the co-main event. Duffee will be making his bareknuckle boxing debut after his last MMA appearance February in KSW.

Rounding out the main card will be a trio of championship fights: [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] will put her flyweight title on the line against [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag], Arnold Adams and Mick Terrill will compete for the vacant heavyweight title, and Kai Stewart will look to defend his featherweight title against Howard Davis.

[lawrence-related id=2684400,2639121,2639091]

Eddie Alvarez implores Michael Chandler to wrestle Conor McGregor early in their fight

Speaking from experience, Eddie Alvarez says Michael Chandler will be in trouble if he doesn’t go for takedowns and wear out Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] advises [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] to use his wrestling from the get-go against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

McGregor and Chandler coached on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which debuts May 30 on ESPN and ESPN+. Episodes will air Tuesdays with a season finale set for Aug. 15. The pair are expected to fight later this year, with McGregor teasing a fight announcement soon.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a former Bellator champion, has thrilled fans in his five UFC bouts with both Knockout and Fight of the Year contenders. But against a sharp and technical striker such as McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), Alvarez said throwing caution to the wind will be his downfall if he doesn’t mix things up.

“Mike Chandler is a hell of an athlete,” Alvarez told ESPN. “I just think stylistically, the way he’s been fighting and the strategy he’s been going about fighting isn’t the way to get it done against Conor McGregor. And I would implore him if I was his coach to change his style, to go for single legs, to go for shots, and force Conor to wrestle early.

“You have to force him to wrestle early so he don’t have the powerful tools that he’s able to take advantage of (against) all these other guys – quick feet, good range, great striking. You take that away when you wrestle him early. Wrestle him early enough and tire his shoulders down, tire his legs down, slow him down, and he’s half the striker that he can be when he’s fully energized.”

[lawrence-related id=2643979,2642966,2641626]

Alvarez experienced first hand what McGregor is like when he’s on point with his striking as he lost his lightweight title to him by lopsided TKO in 2016. However, Alvarez said that was when McGregor was hungry and active. He doesn’t expect him to be the exact same version that beat him when he returns for the first time since in more than two years.

“Hell of a fight and a lot of questions would be answered with Conor’s time off,” Alvarez said. “Conor, of course, is not going to be the same Conor that he was back during his Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz, myself when he was fighting them, you know. He was quite active.

“He was fighting three and four times a year. So we wouldn’t expect the same exact guy who was excited about winning world titles, but will we see that resurgence of energy, enjoyment and excitement and gratitude toward the game of MMA? And I feel like we will.”

Spinning Back Clique: BKFC 41 and Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz’s arrest, Song Yadong’s arrival, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” live stream covering the biggest topics in combat sports, like BKFC 41, Nate Diaz and UFC 288.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura and Dan Tom will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • The UFC was in action this past Saturday, but so, too, was BKFC – and it made by far the bigger splash. BKFC 41 near Denver featured a main event of [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] vs. former UFC and Strikeforce champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag], plus a co-main event of former UFC and Bellator champ [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag]. The card also featured Ben Rothwell, Bec Rawlings – and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] was there as a fan, then faced off with Perry! What is happening here?! Was this the start of the BKFC takeover?
  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] has been in the news. He turned himself in to police in New Orleans, was booked and released and now awaits the next process after an arrest that stemmed from footage of him choking a man unconscious. Diaz’s side said the man was a fellow fighter who came at Diaz, and Diaz merely acted in self defense. What are our thoughts on the scuffle.
  • Not to be forgotten, UFC Fight Night 223 went down in Las Vegas. It wasn’t a crazy card on paper, but in the main event, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] planted his flag as a bantamweight title contender with a dominant fifth-round finish of Ricky Simon. What’s Yadong’s position in the division, and at 25, what’s his timeline for when he might fight for a UFC title?
  • The UFC’s middleweight title picture seemed clear enough: Ex-champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has been booked, and presumably the winner would be teed up for [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]. But now Aeesanya, born in Africa, but living in New Zealand, has beef with Du Plessis, a South Africa native who still lives and trains there. Is Adsanya vs. Du Plessis the way to go now because of the heat it can pull from their new rivalry?
  • UFC 288 goes down Saturday in New Jersey, and while it won’t be in the running for the best numbered card of all time, it’s solid from top to bottom and the main event is loaded with intrigue. Bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] will put his title on the line against former two-division champ [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag], who is coming out of retirement. It’s tight with the oddsmakers, but who has more to gain or lose?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

BKFC strikes hot with banner night, but how can it capitalize? | Opinion

BKFC 41 was the focal point of the combat sports world on Saturday, and now it faces the challenge of trying to repeat that success.

I’m humble enough to admit I was among those skeptical about BKFC from the start. Shedding the gloves felt sideshow-ish at first, and it seemed like the promotion wouldn’t have the staying power to etch a footprint in the combat sports space.

Following Saturday’s BKFC 41 event at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., however, the future looks brighter than ever.

Although BKFC has had some memorable moments since its inception less than five years ago – from the gruesome war between Artem Lobov and Jason Knight to Paige VanZant’s appearances and more – the organization’s 41st event (a number many, including myself, thought it would never reach) was its most impactful to date.

A big debt of gratitude for the traction BKFC 41 received is owed to [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who to the surprise of many, pulled up ringside midway through the card and was the gravitational force we all know him to be. Fans and reporters in the venue posted videos of his every move, the broadcast panned to him at every opportunity, and the icing on the cake was his entry into the ring for an animated faceoff with [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag].

Perry, for his part, is also the perfect face for BKFC. He was built for this style of combat sports, and showed it once again by rearranging former UFC champion Luke Rockhold’s teeth en route to a second-round TKO stoppage in the headlining act of the card.

Although the ending was unfortunate due to Rockhold’s cracked teeth, the booking with Perry was an A+ move by BKFC. Both men did their part in promoting the fight and drawing interest in the weeks leading up, and the BKFC brass put together an ideal undercard cast of MMA notables.

[lawrence-related id=2639023,2638459]

The epic brawl between former UFC champ [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] will go down among the wilder fights in company history, with both men dropping each other two times over the course of the five rounds. Then there was plenty of brutality on the undercard, too.

All in all, it’s hard for BKFC to ask for much more than it got Saturday. BKFC president David Feldman wasn’t lying at the post-fight news conference when he said the card was the focal point of the combat sports world, even if part of that was serendipitous with no Bellator or PFL and UFC putting on one of its weaker cards in recent memory – both on paper and in practice – with UFC Fight Night 223.

Scanning through Twitter and other social media platforms, I saw some people suggest BKFC could be legitimate and viable competition for UFC after the success of this event. We can shut that down right now. It’s not happening remotely close to anytime soon, at least, because BKFC simply doesn’t have the roster to consistently compete at the moment. That’s part of the growth process.

A big success for BKFC would be developing a home grown star. It has a handful of fighters on the roster who are becoming better known for their work in BKFC than MMA or boxing, but if someone can build roots in that world and break through, it could be a game changer.

BKFC 42 goes down in less than two weeks on May 12, and you’d really have to stretch to name a single fighter on the card that would be recognizable to the non-hardcore audience who turned into BKFC 41. There’s always going to be a group out there who will watch anything, but it’s the “casual” fans who saw the names Perry vs. Rockhold, Alvarez vs. Mendes, or saw a McGregor clip pop up and opted to check it out, that are the difference maker. That’s the group that needs its attention captured to make real inroads as a brand.

The coverage for every upcoming event on BKFC’s announced schedule will be nowhere equivalent to what it got this weekend, and rightfully so. Not just because the depth of the card don’t meet the standard of BKFC 41, but also because it will be swallowed up with the UFC’s stretch of 11 events over the next 12 weeks. And Bellator’s multiple cards. And the resumption of the PFL season in early June.

This night was a home run for BKFC, no question. The company currently has more positives going for it thank negatives, too. BKFC 41 had the fighter name value, solid production for the viewer and was paced well. The athletes seem to feel well taken care of at large from a financial perspective, as well.

Now BKFC faces the task of trying to put on events of this magnitude more frequently. Can it gobble up more notable fighters in the free agent market? And more importantly, can it keep those free agents around long enough to be useful chess pieces? That will be key in putting on more significant events and taking a bigger share of the limited combat sports pie.

After BKFC 41 win, Eddie Alvarez plans to continue bareknuckle boxing: ‘I had a lot of fun’

Eddie Alvarez plans to continue bareknuckle boxing following his debut win against Chad Mendes at BKFC 41 in Colorado.

It looks like Saturday’s bareknuckle boxing debut for [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] was not just a one-off.

The former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion plans to return to the BKFC ring after a successful debut for the promotion with a win over fellow ex-UFC fighter Chad Mendes in a split decision. The was the co-main event of BKFC 41 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.

Alvarez says fans can expect a return to the ring from “The Underground King.”

“I’ll be fighting again,” Alvarez told reporters at the BKFC 41 post-fight news conference. “I say this because this training camp for me was like, I wanted to try something new. This is something new for me. I’ve never done this before. But when you take away the wrestling and the kicks and the knees and the elbows – I know my face looks like this, but this is going to go away in two weeks. The training camp was so much more enjoyable than an MMA training camp. Chad would know this and guys who do MMA would know this. The training camp for bareknuckle is so enjoyable.

“I had a lot of fun. My coaches had a lot of fun learning the nuances of the sport. I took a shot. I tried something new. More importantly, I did it because I got Chad. I was going to sit for as long as I needed to sit before I got an opponent where fans would get really excited about. I got the opponent and I think it showed tonight why I took the fight.”

[lawrence-related id=2639091]

Alvarez, who’s been around the fight game for close to two decades, is high on bareknuckle boxing’s ceiling, specifically BKFC as a promotion. BKFC has become popular in recent years, and Alvarez thinks it’s bound to get even bigger.

“I say that because when you look at every sport and the evolution of every sport – basketball started the shot clock, football started to wind things down and shorten up the play to make it more action packed,” Alvarez said. “I felt that in there today, and I was able to recover and keep it exciting because it’s only 10 minutes. It’s so difficult to fight for five five-minute rounds.

“Everybody who fought knows how big of a feat that is. It’s so ridiculous. So to shorten it up to 10 minutes, it makes it more action-packed, more feasible. I think the fans win, I win, Chad wins, we all win when we’ve got to fight for two-minute (rounds).”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 41.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420038933]

BKFC 41 results and live stream

Check out the live results for BKFC 41, headlined by Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold, as well as a preliminary card stream here.

BKFC 41 takes place Saturday at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. and some big names from the world of MMA will square off – without gloves.

The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET and is available for purchase on FITE TV. Three prelim bouts will be live-streamed for free, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The event is headlined by former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] makes his bareknuckle debut as he battles fan-favorite [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag].

In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] fights former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag].

BKFC champion [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] puts her title on the line against former UFC and Bellator fighter [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag]. Also, former UFC heavyweights [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Copeland[/autotag] throw down on the main card.

Check out the full results below, as well as a live and free stream of the prelims above.

BKFC 41 results: Eddie Alvarez edges Chad Mendes in razor thin split decision

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez won a very close battle against Chad Mendes in his bareknuckle debut at BKFC 41.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] has added a win in bareknuckle boxing to his lengthy combat sports resume.

In the co-main event of BKFC 41, Alvarez faced former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. The bout was contested at 165 pounds, and proved to be an intense bout that came down to the wire. When it was all said and done, Alvarez was declared the winner by split decision, earning two 47-46 scores, while one judge saw the fight for Mendes with the same score.

Both men darted in and out with quick punches to begin the fight. Mendes charged ahead with a left jab, and put a powerful right hand behind it. Alvarez waved his opponent in before putting punches of his own together. Mendes responded with a nice shot of his own. As the round came to an end, blood began to flow from a cut under Mendes’ right eye.

Early in the second, Mendes landed a hard left hook that sent Alvarez to the canvas. Alvarez quickly returned to his feet to face the mandatory 8 count by the referee. Mendes continued to win exchanges for the remainder of the round.

In the opening exchange of the third, Alvarez cracked Mendes with a punch, sending him to the mat. Mendes quickly popped up and appealed to the referee that he slipped, but it was ruled a knockdown. A few intense exchanges followed, but the story of this round was Alvarez evening the knockdown count.

Alvarez returned to his stool bloodied after a close fourth round. However, things got wild in the final frame.

Moving forward for the entire round, Alvarez swarmed Mendes with punches. Alvarez caught Mendes with a right uppercut followed by a left, causing Mendes to drop to the canvas. Mendes got up, and with just seconds left on the clock, Alvarez looked to finish the fight before the final bell. However, Mendes clipped Alvarez, knocking him off balance, creating a crazy scene in the final moments.

The fight would go to the scorecards, where two of the three ringside judges believed Alvarez did enough to win.

After the fight, Mendes announced his retirement from combat sports. The bout against Alvarez was his second in bareknuckle, following his debut victory over Joshuah Alvarez last February.

[vertical-gallery id=2638706]

Eddie Alvarez def. Chad Mendes at BKFC 41: Best photos

Check out these photos from former UFC and Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez’s split decision victory over Chad Mendes at BKFC 41.

Check out these photos from former UFC and Bellator champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]’s split decision victory over [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] at BKFC 41, which took place at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)