“I think it would be spectacular” - Martin Nguyen proposes featherweight bout against Eddie Alvarez
Martin 'The Situ-Asian' Nguyen has his sights set on MMA great and current ONE lightweight Eddie Alvarez. The Australia-based Vietnamese fighter has heard rumors that Alvarez is looking to move back down to 155-pounds (featherweight in ONE) and proposes a dream match.
Nguyen, the former ONE featherweight and lightweight world champion, made history by becoming the first man in ONE Championship to win two world titles in two different weight divisions. Despite having lost both of his belts and failing to capture a third belt in as many divisions, 'The Situ-Asian' remains determined to wear gold again. As of late, Nguyen is still fighting at the top of his division.
Speaking to ONE, the Vietnamese-Australian assassin explained why a fight with Eddie Alvarez makes sense:
“Man, I think it would be spectacular, with his experience, his caliber. I’d be more than honored to welcome him to the featherweight division. I’m sure if he gets past me, then he’ll obviously be a top-five, top-three contender for that title shot.”
As far as high-profile match-ups go, not only does this one make sense, it also has the potential to be one of the best fights of the year. Nguyen is a powerful finisher with all but one of his wins coming by way of stoppage. He is also one of the most recognizable ONE fighters outside Asia.
Eddie Alvarez is an MMA legend and is one of the most beloved athletes the sport has ever seen. Having won titles across different organizations in the past, Alvarez still has a legion of fans behind him. His relentless style and unbelievable heart inside the cage has become the stuff of legend.
If a featherweight bout happens between the two, we're sure a lot of eyes will be watching as it has the potential to become an instant classic.
Eddie Alvarez needs to find himself in the winning column in ONE Championship
Former UFC and Bellator champion and MMA legend Eddie Alvarez has had a rough go since moving to ONE Championship. The former lightweight world champion was welcomed to the promotion in devastating fashion by Timofey Nastyukhin via devastating KO.
In his second ONE Championship bout, 'The Underground King' was getting beaten up on the feet by Wushu standout and former ONE world champion Eduard 'Landslide' Folayang. Alvarez was knocked down by one of Folayang's frightening leg kicks. The American MMA icon barely survived the bout if not for his Hail Mary submission win.
@Ealvarezfight #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNTListen in to the shocking ending of Eddie Alvarez vs. Iuri Lapicus 👂 @Ealvarezfight #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT https://t.co/VWCHHQJ1MH
In his third outing, Alvarez was disqualified after he allegedly hit Iuri Lapicus in the back of the head. The decision was later overturned into a no contest after a close review of the incident Still, it wasn't a very good look for 'The Underground King'.
Finally in his fourth bout, Eddie Alvarez suffered his second loss in the promotion as he was soundly beaten by now-reigning ONE lightweight world champion Ok Rae Yoon via unanimous decision.
A win over former 2-division world champion Martin Nguyen could definitely improve Alvarez's stock, if not keep his career afloat.