UFC on ABC 7 was host of many important results, but perhaps the most impressive one came from Spain’s Joel Alvarez, and he’s got a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus to back that claim.
Earlier this month, Alvarez (21-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) returned to the cage after a year of inactivity and put away a tough Elves Brener in the opening bout of the UFC on ABC 7 main card in Abu Dhabi. “El Fenomeno” walked down Brener and picked him apart with his sharp striking until he got the finish in Round 3.
Despite the impressive win and the bonus, Alvarez didn’t get a spot in the official UFC rankings. Although he expected it not to happen, he does believe he’s among the elite.
“It all comes down to how active they keep me,” Alvarez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “After the fight against Marc Diakiese, people said the same thing: ‘Return to the ranking, return to the ranking.’ But I was inactive for a year due to my visa issues.
“This is a division that has a lot of good fighters, so people move up very slowly. It’s almost impossible to get in the rankings, and when you do, you move up very slowly. So if I’m not active, and I don’t get a chance to fight with people in the rankings, it’s going to be tough to get in there. It’s a tough division to climb.
“However, I know that I’m capable of competing against them, and I consider myself one of the best in the world. My place is in the rankings. And if it’s not in the rankings, I’m close. This is my area.”
After his hand was raised in Abu Dhabi, Alvarez used his mic time to call for his next move. He requested King Green for UFC 308, which goes down on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. Fellow Spaniard Ilia Topuria defends his title against Max Holloway in the main event of the card.
“I think that would be ideal for me, and that’s why I said it,” Alvarez said. “It’s a fight that interests me because Bobby Green is a good striker, and it would be a striking fight. I said it: no takedowns, no submissions. Just striking me and him. I think the date also works for me very well. The October card is 11 weeks away, so that would be perfect. I can rest a few more days and then start preparing a camp nine weeks out.
“I also think the fight is also very appealing for the crowd. I obviously think fighting against someone in the rankings is great, but Paddy just went in (the rankings), so I don’t think he’d fight someone outside of it. I’d do it, of course. And then people higher up, many of them are booked. So I’m in no rush. Right now I just want to do fun fights and keep making money.”
Regardless whether he gets Green or gets a spot at UFC 308, Alvarez’s main priority is to be active. He’s hoping to make up for some lost time, given that he’s only fought three times in almost three years.
“It would be amazing to be active,” Alvarez said. “I also owe it to all the fans. This time around, I felt very loved by the public. Not only the public here in Spain, which we know all this is blowing up, but also the international public. I owe it to them. People really enjoy my fights from what I see.
“I don’t want to brag, but when I go on social media, people seem to enjoy them, so I owe it to them. I know what I’m capable of, and I know I can put on even better shows. I owe it to the fans. We need more activity.”
