In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz, there was a pivotal lightweight bout between #1 Anthony Pettis and #4 Eddie Alvarez. It was a bout that could produce the next contender for the lightweight belt; a belt being challenged for on March 5th as Conor McGregor moves up to fight the reigning champion Rafael dos Anjos. Anthony Pettis, the former title holder, found himself the big favorite coming into the bout, but the Philly-native Eddie Alvarez did exactly what he needed to do to win a close split decision victory.
It wasn’t the high-octane, action-packed scrap that many had hoped it would be, but Eddie Alvarez exploited an existing hole in Anthony Pettis’s game as he continually pressed Pettis against the cage and searched for takedowns. Doing so nullified Pettis’s flashy striking arsenal which he goes to regularly against most opponents. There was one combination Alvarez threw a few times to help him close the distance – it was a straight right from orthodox followed by a right hook from southpaw – this was Alvarez’s best combination throughout the bout as the rest of his offense came by way of forward pressure, cage control, and takedowns.
With Pettis knocked down the ladder following this split decision loss, Alvarez continues to claw his way up into prime contendership. However, other contenders also have their eyes on the title. #5 ranked Tony Ferguson is currently on a 7-fight win streak and is a conteder who (unlike Alvarez) has several highlight-reel finishes under his belt. Ferguson was last seen choking out #8 Edson Barboza in what earned both Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night honors. Ferguson is a very unorthodox and sneaky fighter who shifts in and out of range very well. He has extremely dangerous submission skills, elite-level wrestling, and very potent striking as well.
Another prime contender is Khabib Nurmagomedov who has been out of action due to injury for almost two years now. Khabib has a win over the current champion, Rafael dos Anjos, so that gives him value that no other contender has. Nurmagomedov is a sambo fighter who suffocates his opponents with intense pressure on the feet, in the clinch, and on the ground. Nurmagomedov is known for his suplexes which we gets by snaking onto the backs of his opponents, and elevating them up and over his head. Nurmagomedov is currently 6-0 in the UFC, but has not fought since April of 2014.
It will be very interesting to see who gets to take on the winner of Rafael dos Anjos and Conor McGregor between Eddie Alvarez, Tony Ferguson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. I can see the UFC giving Nurmagomedov a tune-up fight coming off his long lay-off, but that would most likely entail him fighting Alvarez or Ferguson. As it stands, Ferguson has the longer streak with the more decisive finishes, but Alvarez’s two split decision wins were against higher ranked opponents.
Some other names to keep an eye on are Beneil Dariush, Dustin Poirier, and Nate Diaz. Dariush jumped into the spotlight when he choked out Daron Cruickshank, then followed that win up with a dominant victory over Jim Miller, and then lastly a very controversial decision win over #6 Michael Johnson. Dustin Poirier is at an outstanding 3-0 at lightweight since coming up from featherweight. Poirier notched finishes over Carlos Diego Ferreira and Yancy Medeiros, and then most recently put in a workman’s like performance over rising prospect Joseph Duffy. Last, but certainly not least, is Nate Diaz. For a moment it seemed like it was okay to look over Nate Diaz following a disappointing 2014, but his Fight of the Night performance over Michael Johnson at the end of 2015 has put the name ‘Nate Diaz’ back into the mix at 155 lbs.
