Athletes
Joel Álvarez | The Finisher Returns
Spanish Lightweight Discusses Quick Turnaround, Finishing Fights Ahead Of Critical Clash With Drakkar Klose
Joel Álvarez returns to action on Saturday night in Tampa, closing out the preliminary card slate at Amalie Arena in a fascinating clash with fellow lightweight prospect Drakkar Klose that profiles as a sure-fire Fight of the Night contender.
The fight comes just four months after Alvarez turned up in Abu Dhabi and dominated Elves Brener, collecting his second straight win and extending his record to 21-3 overall. While a four-month gap between appearances doesn’t feel particularly long or short in a general sense, it’s a sprint back to work for the Spanish standout in terms of how things have gone over the last few years of his career.
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“Yeah, I feel better with five or six months between fights,” Alvarez said with a smile, posted up in Tampa and already chomping at the bit for Saturday night to come so he can step back into the Octagon.
“The last time was one year with no fights,” continued the 31-year-old, whose UFC tenure has been plagued by extended periods on the sidelines for all manner of reasons. “The first time, after Arman Tsarukyan? That was rest for me; I needed a rest after a lot of fighting. Then I fought with Marc Diakiese, (followed by) a long year with no fights because I didn’t have a visa for March or April.”
The lack of a visa caused bouts with Ludovit Klein and Mateusz Rebecki to go by the boards, leaving him sidelined until the UFC returned to Abu Dhabi in August before he was able to finally land an opportunity to make the walk and remind everyone that he’s a dangerous member of the lightweight ranks.
But the good news is that Alvarez’ situation has now changed, and this weekend’s clash in Florida may not be the only time we see him competing in the United States over the next year.
MORE UFC TAMPA: Main Event Spotlight | Covington vs Buckley: UFC Journey
“In October, the visa was approved, and in 2025, I can fight in USA,” he said excitedly. “With visa approval — a lot of events in the UFC are in USA, and I need a visa. But I also love fighting in Abu Dhabi or Europe.”
One place he’s desperate to get to compete is at home in Spain, where the sport is gaining traction thanks to Alvarez and the incredible success of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
MMA — and combat sports in general — have previously never been of major interest the Spanish people, at least not with anything close to the passion and devotion committed to soccer, let alone tennis.
But that is changing, according to Alvarez, who believes his sport is trending in the right direction and is only going to keep climbing the popularity charts as he, Topuria, and other Spanish athletes continue to thrive in the combat sports arena.
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“Futbol, then I think tennis, and then MMA,” he said when asked where the sport falls in the current hierarchy back home.
“The sport in Spain is going up; a very big (trend). Lots of fans in the gyms, (watching) on television. Right now, it’s a very sweet moment for MMA in my country.”
Thus far, 2024 has been a perfect year for Spanish fighters inside the Octagon, with Topuria, who holds dual citizenship in Spain and Georgia, earning a pair of wins, while Alvarez and flyweight Daniel Barez have each logged one victory each.
Saturday night, “El Fenomeno” aims to keep that run intact in his matchup with the similarly underrated Klose.
An 11-fight UFC veteran riding a four-fight winning streak and sporting an excellent 15-2-1 record, the 36-year-old Michigan native and MMA Lab representative has been — like Alvarez — one of the more consistent fighters in the talent-rich division. He’s won seven of his last eight inside the Octagon, with his lone setback coming in a wildly entertaining back-and-forth with Beneil Dariush at UFC 248 where Klose had the California native hurt, only to end up getting caught and stopped himself.
“It’s a good opponent; he’s a (difficult) guy also,” began Alvarez, offering his assessment of Klose and likening him to Brener, whom he also viewed as a very difficult out. “He’s 9-2 in the UFC, has more experience than me in the cage, but I think it’s a good fight.
“He has hard striking, he has wrestling; he’s a complete opponent. He has good wrestling, good boxing, jiu jitsu, but we’re training for this; we’re training for all positions.
“I think it’s a good fight; it’s a nominee for Fight of the Night,” he said, quickly adding, “but Performance of the Night is better.”
At present, both men reside on the outside of the Top 15, though Alvarez believes that will change after this weekend.
“I think whoever wins this fight goes into the Top 15,” he said, reflecting on where he and Klose slot in at present and how Saturday’s contest carries legitimate divisional significance. “It’s my place — I think always the rankings is my place.
“They are the best fighters in the world and I need to stay there.
“We have two losses in the UFC, me and Drakkar,” continued Alvarez, whose last loss came against recently announced title challenger Arman Tsarukyan. “Next week, he changes. I go for the win principally, but the finish will come to me, as always; 21 wins, 21 finishes.
“I don’t look for the finish, but it will come for me.”
Maintaining that 100-percent finishing rate is a point of pride for Alvarez, and for a moment against Brener, it looked like it might have been in jeopardy.
While the Spaniard dominated the fight, he laid back a little more than he has in the past, content to chip away at his Brazilian foe from distance, showing his superiority on the feet. But just when it seemed like perhaps he would see the scorecards for the first time in a victory, Alvarez landed a left hand that put the durable Brener on shaky footing.
A storm of strikes, primarily knees, followed and eventually put Brener on the deck, with Alvarez remaining on the offensive until referee Lukasz Bosacki stepped in and halted the action.
"I don’t know!” Alvarez said with a smile when asked how these finishes always find a way to present themselves to him. “In a fight of striking, I’m very comfortable, always, and on the ground, I’m very dangerous with my jiu jitsu; it’s quick jiu jitsu.
“I’m not a specialist in wrestling, but a specialist in striking and quick jiu jitsu,” he added.
That might be the case, but what is certain beyond any doubt is that Alvarez is a specialist when it comes to finishing fights, and this weekend, we’ll see if he can make it 22 wins and 22 finishes in Tampa.
UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley took place live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on December 14, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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