It was a very real possibility that has just been confirmed. Joel Álvarez (22-3-0) returns to the top 15 of the UFC lightweight, the place where the big names of the American company, the most competitive division in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), sit down to eat. The Asturian has returned there after brutally knocking out Drakkar Klose last Sunday in the last event of the UFC season, which took place in Tampa (Florida), where he managed to add his seventh victory in the largest league on the planet.
The Phenomenon, as he is nicknamed, had a spectacular performance in his confrontation, so those in charge of updating the rankings weekly (media experts) have decided to place, once again, Joel Álvarez in position number 15, a place which he held in November 2021, after knocking out Thiago Moises, but which he abandoned after being defeated by Arman Tsarukyan in February 2022. He became the first fighter Spaniard to enter the top 15 of the UFC, ahead of Ilia Topuria. Since then, a streak of victories against Marc Diakiese in July 2023, Elves Brenner in October of this year and the aforementioned triumph against Klose have allowed him to rise again to the top 15 in lightweight (155 pounds, 70.3 kilograms).
«I would really like to fight against Paddy Pimblett (number 13) because of the style he brings and Benoit Saint-Denis (number 12) has a very striking style as well. “I like them for my way of competing, they are good names and to be the headliner in Spain, it would be the bomb,” the Asturian assured this newspaper from the Amalie Arena, surrounded by his team, which is more similar to Pancho Villa’s Army. than that of Don Pelayo, for his particular grace in developing his things. All possibilities are open.
For now, wants to rest and structure his careerwhile resting in a position that is beginning to be of great importance in the UFC and key to the consolidation of Spain as an emerging market in this sports organization. Joel Álvarez will aim for his return in May, but in the meantime he will continue training hard, working to continue being a mixed martial arts worker. On the horizon, not too far away, are high-profile names like Dan Hooker, Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira.
The path is very hopeful for El Fenómeno, since his total number of victories by completion (22 wins, 17 submissions and 5 KOs) has allowed him to point towards the best in the world. However, the hardness involved in losing almost 15 kilos while measuring 1.90 meters and not having any fat to pull from has led him to make the decision to move up in category, to welterweight (170 pounds, 77.1 kilos). “I have one last bullet in the light,” he assured ABC. Something that, if we obtain a new great victory in this division, could extend a little longer in time.
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