Former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez made his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 178 opposite Donald Cerrone. It did not go especially well for him.
While Alvarez put on a strong showing against one of the top lightweights of the last few years, Cerrone's power proved to be too much as he hobbled Alvarez with leg kicks and battered his eye closed with jabs. The damage added up and allowed Cerrone to take home a decisive decision win.
Now, Alvarez looks to the the future, and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has to figure what to do with Alvarez. So who could the Blackzilian face next? Find out right here!
Ross Pearson
There are two possible directions we could see Joe Silva take with Eddie Alvarez. The first is treating Alvarez like a recently felled contender and putting him into a high-profile "big" fight opposite a fighter in a similar position. The other is using him like an aging veteran, turning him into a measuring stick for possible future contenders.
If the UFC fancies Alvarez in the latter role, look no further for a potential opponent than the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 9, Ross Pearson. Pearson is currently riding an odd, asterisk-filled stretch that can be more or less viewed as a four-fight winning streak. In his most recent outing, Pearson knocked former lightweight contender Gray Maynard out cold with punches and deserves a chance at breaking into the Top 10.
More importantly, however, this would be an absolute dream match for technique-minded fans. Alvarez and Pearson own some of the best boxing in MMA today, and putting them together could yield an amazing, Fight of the Year-caliber match.
Jim Miller
Using Alvarez to size up a contender is one idea. Setting him up against a fellow high-level fighter who has fallen on hard times of late is another. Enter Jim Miller.
Miller and Alvarez have three things in common: They are UFC fighters, they lost to Donald Cerrone, and they don't have anything lined up at this time. A matchup between the two makes a great deal of sense and would make for a strong main card fight for a pay-per-view or possibly a good main event for a random Fight Night. As with a possible matchup with Pearson, it's hard to envision the fight being anything but exciting.
Benson Henderson
Now here is an interesting thought.
Former lightweight champion Ben Henderson is currently looking to leave 155 pounds behind after his next fight. While that may or may not be a particularly great idea (in my humble opinion, there are enough winnable fights for him at 170 pounds that there is little reason for him not to), the occasion calls for a fellow established veteran that, preferably, Henderson is unfamiliar with. Eddie Alvarez fits that bill.
Alvarez and Henderson have long been two of the best lightweights in the business, but Alvarez's time in Dream and Bellator kept them from crossing paths. With both of them under the Zuffa umbrella, Alvarez vs. Henderson is a hipster MMA fan's dream from 2009. It's a damn good fight that would be well-suited for both participants. Make it happen, Joe!
