VIDEO| Watch Eddie Alvarez’s Legendary 2008 Battle with Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen

https://youtu.be/rbCLivmduzw

Though Eddie Alvarez has been on the radar of hardcore MMA fans for years, he has only recently entered the consciousness of casual fans as the UFC lightweight champion and the upcoming opponent of transcendent star Conor McGregor.

Often referred to as “The Underground King,” Alvarez has long been adored by fans for his entertaining, take-one-to-give-one fighting style. His willingness to throw caution to the win and try to out-gut his opponents began all the way back in the early years of career. It carried him through several fights under the Dream banner. It lasted through his reign as the the Bellator lightweight champion. It even extended into his run in the UFC, during which he has engaged in memorable battles with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Gilbert Melendez, and most famously, charged face-first into a buzzsaw named Rafael Dos Anjos, ultimately winning the fight via KO to earn the lightweight title.

One of the finest examples of Alvarez’s willingness to slug it out with his opponents occured back in 2008, when he took Norway’s Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen in the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix quarterfinal round. Despite the mammoth stakes of this bout, Alvarez and his Norwegian foe threw caution to the wind, pelting each other with heavy artillery on the feet, and scrambling like maniacs on the ground. The end result was a truly unforgettable fight, which earned Fight of the Year honors from both FIGHT! Magazine and Inside MMA.

You can watch this memorable war, which Alvarez would win by unanimous decision, at the top of this post.

Alvarez’s next challenge, as mentioned above, will see him attempt to defend his lightweight title against current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. The two stars will share the main event honors of UFC 205 on November 12 in New York City, New York.

Do you think Alvarez will go for broke against McGregor, or will he execute a more conservative plan like he recently did against Anthony Pettis? Sound off, PENN Nation!