"I think this would be a really good matchup" - Arian Sadikovic wants Eddie Alvarez in a special-rules bout

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Arian Sadikovic (R) wants a special rules fight against Eddie Alvarez (L) in the future. | [Photos: ONE Championship]

Arian Sadikovic is focused on claiming gold in his upcoming match, but that isn’t stopping him from looking ahead to a potential dream match against Eddie Alvarez.

The German striker is set to challenge Regian Eersel for the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title in the main event of ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on April 22.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Sadikovic revealed that he has a grand plan to establish his dominance in the division. However, he admitted a desire to dabble in MMA in the future.

Arian Sadikovic said:

“I really want to defend the [lightweight kickboxing] belt for a long time – not just win it. I really want to defend [the world title] as often as possible to make a name for myself. Later, I also want to switch to MMA.”

Like many others, Sadikovic was also entertained by the special-rules superfight between Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon. As such, he believes that it could be his best path in making the transition to MMA. He even singled out an opponent should he be given the opportunity to fight in such a match.

“You know last time [ONE] made a special rules bout? Rodtang versus ‘Mighty Mouse’? Maybe something like that for my first MMA fight. Maybe against [Eddie] Alvarez. I think this would be a really good matchup. I think it would be a really good fight,” he said.

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Eddie Alvarez could be a dangerous matchup for Arian Sadikovic

Eddie Alvarez has proven himself in various promotions around the world, but he has yet to find his footing in ONE Championship. ‘The Underground King’ currently has one win, two losses, and one match ruled a no contest since his arrival in 2019.

While he may be outside the top five of the stacked ONE lightweight division, he can turn heads by winning against the hard-hitting Arian Sadikovic.

Alvarez has 18 knockouts in his 30 professional MMA wins and has an aggressive style similar to Sadikovic. Competing in a mixed-rules bout could bring out the best in the American.

The 38-year-old could be able to showcase his striking skills against a willing dance partner in Arian Sadikovic in the kickboxing round. If the fight were to go beyond the striking round, he could assert his grappling mastery as Demetrious Johnson did against Rodtang in their matchup.

That’s a big “if” though, as Sadikovic would certainly not back down in a round that he’d be expected to own. Either way, this matchup would definitely be explosive, as both fighters are always hungry for the finish.

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