Will the former UFC champ get a big win or will the former Bellator champ play spoiler?
This fight is sure to be a barn burner as former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis takes on Eddie Alvarez. Why should you be excited for this match? Well, in all likelihood the winner of this match up will likely be on the shortlist of potential lightweight title challengers. Both men come to fight and fight hard. Both are durable, exciting strikers, and right now both men are extremely hungry to prove that they’re the best in the world. Coming off of a March 2015 defeat to current champion Rafael dos Anjos, Pettis is looking to rebound in a big way in 2016. His style is primarily striking based which could prove to be Alvarez’s downfall. The flashy former champion is a proficient at throwing a myriad of different kicks thanks to his taekwondo background. 
Besides his kicking game, Pettis also has some polished boxing that allows him to fire off fast and impressive combinations. Even in his loss to dos Anjos, “Showtime” was able to land a decent amount of strikes on the tough Brazilian. The problem he had in that fight was the tactical error of placing himself between the fence and dos Anjos. Pettis can both play both aggressor and counter fighter, the latter of which was his approach in the dos Anjos fight. He tried to play the outside game against a much more aggressive opponent and ended up paying the price for his gamble. Pettis still has some great striking and wicked jiu jitsu off of his back, but if he hopes to come out of this fight on top he’s going to have to keep away from the fence and vary his striking distances from inside the pocket to all the way outside. Standing in the middle zone with Alvarez could prove to be his undoing. Speaking of Alvarez, the former Bellator lightweight champion is faced with yet another tough task within the octagon against Anthony Pettis. Alvarez relies mostly on his boxing and wrestling to get him through fights, but here’s the big issue: Eddie is just a bit too hittable. In almost all of his fights, despite his boxing pedigree, Alvarez has found himself tagged and hurt early and often. It’s the biggest chink in his armor. Eddie has a strong mental game and great condition, recovering from punishment quickly and with a decent stamina to go three hard rounds if not more. The problem in this scenario however is that he’s dealing with a sniper in Anthony Pettis. The former UFC champion doesn’t just hurt you and let up. Once Pettis smells blood, nine times out of ten you’re going to be hitting the canvas. Eddie can perhaps hold Pettis down on the ground for some ground and pound or simply to just secure position and break up the talented striker’s rhythm. The problem with that game plan is that it will require a tremendous amount of energy on Alvarez’s part and like mentioned before, Pettis is capable of attacking with submissions from the bottom. 
In a fight that will showcase two of the greats of the lightweight division, expect a back and forth battle to ensure. That is until Alavarez is cracked with a well placed Pettis kick or punch for a devastating KO victory. The Verdict: Anthony Pettis defeats Eddie Alvarez by knockout inside two rounds. Who do you think will come out on top? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor and geek culture enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter and keep up with his latest exploits.
