KO Of The Day: Eddie Alvarez Mauls Rafael dos Anjos

Eddie Alvarez went from underground king to UFC king following the mauling he inflicted on Rafael dos Anjos in July, battering the champion inside one round. The former Bellator lightweight champion now faces Conor McGregor in his first title defence this weekend at the uber-UFC 205 card in New York.

Before eventually signing with the premiere mixed-martial-arts promotion, Alvarez was facing his toughest opponent but unfortunately for him it wasn't inside the cage, instead an ongoing court case.

Following a lengthy spat among lawyers and former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, the disgruntled champion was eventually granted his unconditional release paving the way for UFC to add him to their already stacked 155lbs roster.

_{(Alvarez smiles with the belt at the UFC 205 pre-fight presser)}

The Philly-fighter subsequently made his Octagon bow at UFC 178, though lost a close decision to Donald Cerrone before reeling off back-to-back wins against former Strikeforce and UFC belt-holders Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis setting up a title bout with Rafael dos Anjos.

After grinding away for years, Alvarez finally proved he was the No.1 lightweight on the planet defeating 'RDA' in brutal fashion showcasing his relentless aggression. A big overhand right buckled the Brazilian which was followed up with a barrage of wild uppercuts putting an end to his reign, beginning his own.

_{(Video courtesy of UFC)}

Topics: UFC, eddie alvarez

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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