Eddie Alvarez vs. Josh Neer at May Bellator Event
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 9:41 PM EST
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Bellator today announced that Eddie Alvarez will take on Josh Neer in a 160 pound catchweight "superfight." From the press release:
CHICAGO, Ill. (February 16, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that its reigning lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, the No. 2-ranked lightweight in the world, will square off in a non-title "Super Fight" with UFC veteran Josh "The Dentist" Neer under the Bellator banner this May.
The fight is the first Super Fight matchup to be announced by Bellator, which is now gearing up for its much-anticipated nationally-televised second season. These non-tournament, non-title catch-weight fights will pit Bellator’s Season 1 Champions — Alvarez, Joe Soto, Lyman Good and Hector Lombard — against top competition as they prepare to defend their titles from Bellator’s Season 2 tournament winners this fall.
The Alvarez-Neer fight will take place during one of Bellator’s May events and will be televised live on FOX Sports Net and during Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo. The exact date will be announced in the coming weeks.
It's a decent fight to keep Alvarez active and ready for the tournament winner to emerge and Neer certainly has a little bit of value from his time in the UFC. I do think it's a touch on the odd side to have both men fight 5 pounds over their normal weights just so that it's a "catchweight" bout and doesn't ruin the lightweight tournament winner facing the lightweight champion in Alvarez should Neer get the win.
This is still a good fight between two guys who are always good to bring the action so it should be a pretty enjoyable fight to watch on what is shaping up to be a very impressive season of fights.
Full press release after the jump.
CHICAGO, Ill. (February 16, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that its reigning lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, the No. 2-ranked lightweight in the world, will square off in a non-title "Super Fight" with UFC veteran Josh "The Dentist" Neer under the Bellator banner this May.
The fight is the first Super Fight matchup to be announced by Bellator, which is now gearing up for its much-anticipated nationally-televised second season. These non-tournament, non-title catch-weight fights will pit Bellator’s Season 1 Champions — Alvarez, Joe Soto, Lyman Good and Hector Lombard — against top competition as they prepare to defend their titles from Bellator’s Season 2 tournament winners this fall.
The Alvarez-Neer fight will take place during one of Bellator’s May events and will be televised live on FOX Sports Net and during Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo. The exact date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Alvarez, the Philadelphia native and Fight Factory product, has driven his 19-2 professional record to the No. 2 ranking in the world at lightweight. He dominated Bellator’s Season 1 tournament to take home the first-ever Bellator Lightweight Championship belt.
Neer, an Iowa native who is 27-9-1 over the course of his seven-year MMA career, is a three-time veteran of the UFC with signature wins over Melvin Guillard and TUF winners Joe Stevenson and Mac Danzig. Since his last UFC fight in October 2009, Neer is 2-0, with both wins coming via first-round stoppages.
"In addition to being one of the top lightweights on earth, Eddie’s a blast to watch fight," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Alvarez vs. Neer should produce fireworks from the start. Our hyper-competitive tournaments, May super-fights and September title-defense fights will all create some awesome nationally televised events."
Alvarez, who underwent minor arthroscopic knee surgery on Jan. 13th, said he is itching to make his return to the cage against Neer.
"I’ve seen Josh Neer fight, and he’s a banger," Alvarez said. "I love this fight because he never puts on a dull fight and those are the kinds of matches that suit me the best. I expect my knee to be 100 percent soon and I’m expecting that this is going to be my best performance ever."
Neer said he also expects the fight to be an exciting one.
"This is definitely a tough fight because Alvarez is a really explosive fighter and one of the top two or three lightweights in the world," Neer said. "I think that if I beat him, it would be a huge win for me and would really help me increase my notoriety. It’s a great opportunity."
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
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or at least someone, besides himself.
by DamnSevern on Feb 16, 2010 6:32 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hope it’s a double KO
"I fight because I can’t sing, I can’t dance, and it beats working all day. Now ask me a question that doesn’t sound so fucking stupid." – Phil Baroni
by midwestbred on Feb 16, 2010 6:31 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
"I fight because I can’t sing, I can’t dance, and it beats working all day. Now ask me a question that doesn’t sound so fucking stupid." – Phil Baroni
by midwestbred on Feb 16, 2010 6:33 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
lol
i love how he celebrates the awesomeness first and then checks on the dudes
Goldie: "Michael Jordan-esque in his grappling skills is Travis Lutter."
Rogan: "No, no he's not. No."
I know Dana would love it if Neer beat Alverez.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin
by donkeypunch on Feb 16, 2010 6:38 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I really wonder how Bellator keeps picking up all these fighters that you’d really think Strikeforce should get. Strikeforce, the #2 American promotion boasting an unmatched network TV deal, is consistently beaten to the punch on signing prospects and veterans alike by a company whose main claim to fame is one-minute clips on youtube. What’s happening here?
by JRN on Feb 16, 2010 6:42 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Strikeforce is Overrated
Bellator is a better upstart MMA promotion, just because SF signed Fedor everyone thinks theyve cemented a claim to #2.
Fan of Tiger 'Makin It Rain' Woods
by B-A-N-A-N-A-S on Feb 16, 2010 7:04 PM EST up reply actions
Even w/o Fedor, they got the better roster. Easily.
by MickDawg on Feb 16, 2010 10:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I was thinking the same thing. I would guess, and only guess, that it is some sort of influence from Showtime. I mean, why pick up Kevin Randleman, but not a Josh Neer, Joe Warren, James McClintock, etc. Before Strikeforce got onto Showtime and was that regional promotion everyone loved, they seemed to have their act together. Now, not so much, and I am guessing that is because of Showtime and their influence over the product.
Its like CBS/Showtime think that the EliteXC model would work with a different company.
by Dropkick434 on Feb 17, 2010 12:29 AM EST up reply actions
Competence.
You’re seeing Bellator run their business well, while Strikeforce tries to emulate someone who runs his business well.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
I think it’s a little too early to say whether Bellator is running their business well. They haven’t actually put on any events in their second season yet, and they never had to deal with any bad injury situations in their tournaments the first time out, a stroke of good fortune that may not repeat itself.
I wonder whether this is an indication that Strikeforce is low on cash, possibly from having pumped so much into Fedor, Mousasi, Henderson, and maybe even Lashley. But if people like Jacob McClintock and Dan Horbuckle are really that expensive, how can Bellator afford them?
It’s just crazy that SF can’t do the minimum to build their roster at a time when they need challengers to their new champions so badly. Not only are they being undercut by Bellator, but freaking MFC and Shine Fights are grabbing people left and right too!
It’s just weird.
They just had a beastly expansion period.
And are notorious for playing slow and long term. I don’t think them missing a few prospects is indicative of any issue with their stability.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
I think you are missing some key differences between Strikeforce and Bellator: StrikeForce is trying to actually become the #2 promotion, while Bellator is merely try ing to carve out as big of niche in the mma fanbase as they can by appealing to the more hardcore fans. Here is my non-expert analysis:
StrikeForce is trying to appeal not only to hardcore fans, but also to casual UFC fans and new fans as well. This is were a new promotion is going to see the biggest potential for revenue. To compete here StrikeForce has to produce a product comparable to the UFC. The truth is they can’t afford to offer the equivalent, so they are cutting corners and worrying about only the broadcast portions of their cards. Their CBS cards, all two of them, are loaded with more talent than some UFC ppvs, while their showtime main cards are comparable to a Spike Fight Night. They can offer this quality because: a) they only plan on holding 12 events for the year, compared to the UFC’s 20+, and b) they only really fill 4-6 fights slots per event using local talent for the prelims, while the UFC has twice as many fights per card to fill. This means Strikeforce actually has a very limited number of fighters slots available (1/4 what the UFC has), so while they could definitely use a Josh Neer or any of the Bellator figthers, they don’t really have the openings. Instead they would prefer to use up that spot for the a Nick Diaz over Dan Hornbuckle or Dan Henderson over Hector Lombard.
The other problem Strikeforce runs into when courting fans as the number two promotion is that they can’t really sign anyone cut from the UFC for fear of looking like they are putting on second rate fights, even if said fighters are better than anything they have. Henderson, Werdum, and Huerta all made the grade because technically they weren’t cut for performance but for contract disputes. But a Josh Neer would make StrikeForce look like a refuge for UFC washouts to the casuals.
That’s my rambling analysis.
I’d love to believe that SF is engaging in careful, long-term planning, but I don’t see it. Their next challenger for Diaz is Hayato Sakurai, because they can’t come to terms with the one other welterweight contender on their roster. The situations in the other weight classes are a bit less dire, but their divisions are all pretty shallow.
So if it’s really a matter of Diaz OR Hornbuckle, Henderson OR Lombard, they’re in trouble, because they have no long-term depth to show for this hypothetical long-term planning. And meanwhile, a bunch of good prospects are being snatched up by an upstart organization whose contracts are already notoriously restrictive, guys that could have been homegrown Strikeforce stars. Diaz and Henderson can’t go out there and fight themselves. They need opponents, preferably good ones.
On the subject of using ex-UFC guys: I really think this business about being afraid to look second-rate by signing them is silly. You could be right that that’s how they’re viewing it, but it’s silly. The kinds of MMA fans who will spurn them for that are either UFC-only fans who want watch anyway, or hardcore fans who will watch no matter what. The people in the middle will come around if the fights are good, particularly for the CBS cards. Most MMA fans have short memories and can be swayed by a good comeback story (c.f. Frank Mir).
SF should concentrate on building roster depth with talented fighters who can put on a good show, regardless of past affiliation. Now, I’m not saying they should have gotten Josh Neer, but I think Thales Leites would have been a perfectly fine pickup, as would Wilson Gouveia (if MFC can get them, how expensive can they be these days?). And the guys Bellator is getting represent some major missed opportunities.
Final thought: Strikeforce can’t avoid looking second-rate. They are second-rate. But they’ve already got deals with Showtime and CBS. I think if they concentrate on making those shows as full of fun and competitive fights as possible, they’ll flourish. And they can only do that for a little while longer with the roster they’ve got.
So if it’s really a matter of Diaz OR Hornbuckle, Henderson OR Lombard, they’re in trouble, because they have no long-term depth to show for this hypothetical long-term planning
I think you spelled it out right here, they don’t have any roster depth. They really are only worried about having a roster deep enough to book the 50 or so fights that make broadcast that they’ll do this year. So that means putting Fedor against Werdum and Overeem against someone else to set up a future match. That means planning on Gegard vs. King Mo, Shields vs, Dan Henderson, then a Mousasi vs Henderson showdown while Jacare gets built up as the next challenger (I’m sure they wish they could do the same with Mo). That’s 8 fights right there. 16% of their schedule is taken care of, but that’s all they can offer.
They seem to be only acquiring enough guys to stay afloat. I understand this reasoning, but I am also aware that their status as a major promotion is something of a charade. Hopefully, if viewers and revenue start coming in, they can buttress what they have. But if they can’t ? it will be an interesting year to say the least.
I don't know, man
Alvarez has been flexing his grappling skills quite a bit lately, and I definitely think he’d be able to beat Neer w/ the top control special. The whole ‘stand and bang’ thing probably isn’t Eddie’s best chance
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by ElliotMatheny on Feb 16, 2010 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
I agree
I think Neer might have a good chance to win if he keeps it standing, but Eddie is more well-rounded.
"And shepherds we shall be, for thee my Lord for thee, Power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command, we shall flow a river forth to thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine patris, et filii...et spiritus sancti."
Eddie's got an ego about his striking methinks
I think he’ll use his striking to drop the sloppier and emotional Neer.
160 makes sense. If they’re not going to fight for the title, why not let them cut a little less weight?
I guess...
but it’s not like either of them have had issues at fighting 155.
Nothing major at all, just odd.
If Derek Jeter clubbed a baby seal on earth day while wearing a mink coat and crocodile skin boots while burning tires on an iceberg, the reaction would be "Its OK Derek, you’re a Yankee." -First mammal to wear pants
Exactly...
i’m not pissed. It’s just…strange
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MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 7:22 PM EST up reply actions
This fight will give us a little better idea of how to rank Alvarez...
Having some sort of UFC context is crucial to have an accurate ranking. I think he’s overrated — this fight will prove it.
I'm just a dude who's trying to put it together.
I think he’s a bit overrated but I think he’s better than Neer.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 7:31 PM EST up reply actions
Sure...
But if Neer gives him the same kinda trouble that Hansen did — what does that say?
I love these kind of fights because we’re not just going to learn something about Alvarez, we’re gonna learn something about DREAM and BELATOR. Usually we learn how deep the UFC really is.
I'm just a dude who's trying to put it together.
I dunno...
I’m not a fan of trying to figure out things about where promotions stand in relation to each other. I just like to see where fighters are.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 17, 2010 9:38 AM EST up reply actions
He’s bounced around between 3 and 4 on our rankings.
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MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 7:32 PM EST up reply actions
which i respectfully disagree with
id say he deserves around 5 or 6 since i like edgar and maynard above both him and aoki but id never seen him at #2? his loss to aoki wasnt long enough ago to justifiably rank him at 2 and aokis loss since then was at 170
and florian i believe solidly locked up the ranking as the man who is better than everyone but bj
for your sake...
I went back through our rankings (which are, of course, a compilation of rankings by well respected sites and not our own opinions)
and the last time he was ranked #2 was November 2008
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
How come y’all don’t have your own subjective rankings? You could even add those into the consensus rankings every month.
New Orleans Saints - 2010 Super Bowl Champions. Unbelievable. Who Dat.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Feb 16, 2010 8:50 PM EST up reply actions
I was really enjoying Leland’s rankings, but they’re disappeared.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I've got my own subjective rankings...
they’re sitting right here on my laptop.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 9:09 PM EST up reply actions
I guess you can only take so much internet flak before you decide to keep a few cards in your hand
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Feb 16, 2010 11:01 PM EST up reply actions
This is why I like Josh Neer despite most people hating him
He’s taking a tough, but smart, fight— a calculated risk— in order to try to win his way back into the UFC. He would undoubtedly be invited back should he win this fight.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Jeez if he beats the #2 guy in the world the MMA universe will be screaming for him to dethrone BJ Penn.
Keep firing Assholes!
I don't know what I'm talking aboot.
If he had any takedown defense to speak of, he could be a top ten guy.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Super-fight my balls
"Just push the ice outside the octagon so Arianny can fall on her head!" - Joe Rogan
Superfight in this context is a fight where the champion fights a tough fighter without the title on the line. It is a fine definition.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 7:33 PM EST up reply actions
So then is calling it a “superfight” misleading or hyperbolic?
"Just push the ice outside the octagon so Arianny can fall on her head!" - Joe Rogan
by Earl Montclair on Feb 16, 2010 7:49 PM EST up reply actions
It’s fairly standard MMA terminology for a main event without a title on the line. The UFC no longer uses it but like…The IFL used to have “superfights” like Maurice Smith vs. Marco Ruas…etc
It’s just like calling something a “special attraction.” They’re just phrases.
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MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 16, 2010 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
Silva/Griffin was billed as a Superfight, if I remember correctly
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Feb 16, 2010 11:02 PM EST up reply actions
Alvarez should win this one, based on his "name"
but I think Neer has a good chance
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
Well, I’ve got Josh Neer in this fight. I think he can do well enough on the feet, and if it hits the mat I think he’s wily enough to catch Alvarez.
Not that I condone facism or any ism for that matter. Isms are in my opinion, not good. A person shouldn't believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.
I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me". Good point there, after all he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. Wouldn't change the fact I have to bum rides off of people.
I am kind of surprised Strikeforce is letting Eddie work with Bellator. Some fancy contract work from Eddie and Monte Cox to have him signed with bellator, Dream, and i am pretty sure Strikeforce too. Maybe he has to finish out his contract with Bellator?
And i am a big Eddie fan, but ranking him around 3 or 4 right now is a little off. it is funny he was ranked #2 in November of ’08. i assume that was right after the GP, and my guess is his rankings in early ’08 or late ’07 were probably not near the top 10.
I remember reading way back when that it is in eddies contract that he can fight for Monte Cox’s promotion as well. Strikeforce knew Eddie would be fighting in Dream and Bellator when they signed him.
by Dropkick434 on Feb 17, 2010 12:34 AM EST up reply actions
Neer is a fighter who baffles me he can look great at times and then follow it up with a horrible performance. It will really depend on which version of Neer shows up if it’s the one that beat Danzig he’ll beat Alvarez if it’s the one that fought Pellegrino then he’ll lose either way should be fun.
He lacks certain essential skills (namely takedown defense) which prevent him from showing off his IMHO top ten-worthy skills.
by HarmlessNinja on Feb 18, 2010 12:34 AM EST up reply actions
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