Joel Álvarez

Joel Álvarez
Álvarez in 2022
BornJoel Álvarez González
(1993-03-02) March 2, 1993 (age 31)
Gijón, Asturias, Spain
Other namesEl Fenómeno ('The Phenomenon')
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
DivisionLightweight
Reach77 in (196 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofGijón, Asturias, Spain
TeamBandog Fight Club
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2]
Years active2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total25
Wins22
By knockout5
By submission17
Losses3
By knockout2
By decision1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Joel Álvarez González (born March 2, 1993) is a Spanish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 17, 2024, he is #15 in the UFC lightweight rankings.[3]

Early life

Álvarez was born in Gijón, Spain, on March 2, 1993, and spent his childhood in the neighborhood of the Pumarín industrial park. When he was 18 years old, he began to practice mixed martial arts at a local gym, the Tibet Sports Center, and later made his debut in several tournaments at the regional level.[4]

Career

Early career

A professional competitor since 2013, Álvarez fought primarily in his native Spain and garnered a record of 15 wins against 1 loss in the first five years of his career. He was undefeated in the Spanish promotion Ansgar Fighting League (AFL), where he was the Lightweight Champion, after defeating Brazil's Julio César Alves by submission in the second round.[5]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his debut, Álvarez faced Damir Ismagulov on February 23, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos.[6] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[7]

Álvarez faced Danilo Belluardo on June 1, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[8]

Álvarez faced Joseph Duffy on July 15, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 172.[9] He won the fight via a submission in round one.[10]

Álvarez faced Alexander Yakovlev on October 24, 2020, at UFC 254.[11] At the weigh-ins, Álvarez weighed in at 159.5 pounds, three and a half pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and he was fined 30% of his purse, which went to his opponent Yakovlev.[12] He won the fight via an armbar submission in round one.[13]

Álvarez was scheduled to face Christos Giagos on May 15, 2021, at UFC 262.[14] However, Álvarez was removed from the bout in early May due to alleged visa issues that restricted his travel, and was replaced by Sean Soriano.[15]

Álvarez faced Thiago Moisés on November 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 197.[16] At the weigh-ins, Álvarez weighed in at 157.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight with Álvarez fined 30% of his purse, which went to Moisés.[17] Álvarez won the fight via technical knockout in round one.[18]

Álvarez faced Arman Tsarukyan on February 26, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 202.[19] He lost the bout via ground and pound TKO in the second round.[20]

Álvarez was scheduled to face Zubaira Tukhugov on February 14, 2023, at UFC 284.[21] However, Álvarez withrew from the event for undisclosed reasons and he was replaced by promotional newcomer Elves Brener.[22]

Álvarez faced Marc Diakiese on July 22, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 224.[23] He won the fight via brabo choke submission in the second round.[24]

Álvarez was scheduled to face Ľudovít Klein on March 2, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 238.[25] However, Álvarez withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced by AJ Cunningham.[26]

Álvarez was scheduled to face Mateusz Rębecki on April 27, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 55.[27] However, Álvarez pulled out due to undisclosed reasons.[28]

Álvarez faced Elves Brener on August 3, 2024, at UFC on ABC 7.[29] He won the fight by technical knockout as a result of knees and punches in the third round.[30] This fight earned him a Performance of the Night award.[31]

Álvarez faced Drakkar Klose on December 14, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 63.[32] He won the fight by knockout via a flying knee and punches in the first round.[33]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
25 matches 22 wins 3 losses
By knockout 5 2
By submission 17 0
By decision 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 22–3 Drakkar Klose KO (flying knee and punches) UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley December 14, 2024 1 2:48 Tampa, Florida, United States
Win 21–3 Elves Brener TKO (knees and punches) UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov August 3, 2024 3 3:36 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Performance of the Night.
Win 20–3 Marc Diakiese Submission (brabo choke) UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura July 22, 2023 2 4:26 London, England
Loss 19–3 Arman Tsarukyan TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green February 26, 2022 2 1:57 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 19–2 Thiago Moisés TKO (elbows and punches) UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez November 13, 2021 1 3:01 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Catchweight (157.5 lb) bout; Álvarez missed weight.
Win 18–2 Alexander Yakovlev Submission (armbar) UFC 254 October 24, 2020 1 3:00 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Catchweight (159.5 lb) bout; Álvarez missed weight.
Win 17–2 Joseph Duffy Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 July 19, 2020 1 2:25 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Win 16–2 Danilo Belluardo TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith June 1, 2019 2 2:22 Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 15–2 Damir Ismagulov Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos February 23, 2019 3 5:00 Prague, Czech Republic
Win 15–1 Radu Maxim Submission (triangle choke) AFL 17 November 24, 2018 1 4:29 Langreo, Spain Won the AFL Lightweight Championship.
Win 14–1 Julio Cesar Alves Submission (brabo choke) AFL 16 September 29, 2018 2 1:02 Valladolid, Spain Catchweight (161 lb) bout.
Win 13–1 Alexandre Ribeiro Submission (triangle choke) AFL 15 May 5, 2018 1 4:17 San Sebastián, Spain
Win 12–1 Kevin Daniel Delgado Submission (guillotine choke) AFL 14 March 17, 2018 1 0:26 Las Palmas, Spain
Win 11–1 Francisco Gonzalez Submission (guillotine choke) AFL 13 October 14, 2017 1 1:59 Gijón, Spain
Win 10–1 Jekson Poleza Submission (triangle choke) AFL 12 June 3, 2017 1 1:57 Barcelona, Spain
Win 9–1 Anthony Muller TKO (punches) Fight Night Series 2 March 18, 2017 1 0:33 Montreux, Switzerland
Win 8–1 Moncef Ed Doukani Submission (anaconda choke) MMA Casino Fights: Álvarez vs. Ed Doukani October 8, 2016 1 1:45 Gijón, Spain
Win 7–1 Jose Luis Bravo Submission (triangle choke) MMA Casino Fights: Álvarez vs. Bravo July 8, 2016 1 0:49 Gijón, Spain
Win 6–1 Carlos Villar Submission (armbar) MMA España: Bandog Challenge 3 June 12, 2015 1 4:20 Gijón, Spain
Loss 5–1 Ali Abdulkhalikov KO (spinning heel kick) M-1 Challenge 56 April 10, 2015 1 0:34 Moscow, Russia Return to Lightweight.
Win 5–0 Graham Turner Submission (guillotine choke) Rage in the Cage 3 March 21, 2015 3 N/A Paisley, Scotland Featherweight bout.
Win 4–0 Jose Luis Bravo Submission (triangle choke) MMA España: Desafio Burgos Profight 2015 March 7, 2015 1 3:20 Burgos, Spain
Win 3–0 Helson Henriques Submission (anaconda choke) International Pro Combat 6 January 26, 2015 1 1:23 Lisbon, Portugal
Win 2–0 Hicham Rachid Submission (triangle choke) MMA España: Bandog Challenge 2 April 12, 2014 1 2:01 Gijón, Spain
Win 1–0 Aratz Garmendia Submission (triangle choke) Txurdinaga Sutan: Pro Boxing & MMA December 28, 2013 1 3:19 Bilbao, Spain

[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  2. ^ "Joel Álvarez | UFC". UFC.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  3. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  4. ^ "Joel Álvarez, una esperanza fenomenal". ABC (in Spanish). 20 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Wishing our lightweight champion Joel Alvarez all the best as he embarks on his career at the ufc". Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  6. ^ Sherdog.com. "Damir Ismagulov to Fight Against Octagon Newcomer Joel Alvarez at UFC Prague". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  7. ^ Doherty, Dan (2019-02-23). "UFC Prague Results: Damir Ismagulov Cruises by Joel Alvarez". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  8. ^ "UFC Stockholm Results: Joel Alvarez Wins Big in Card Opener". Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  9. ^ Gavin Quinn (2020-06-18). "Irish fighter Joe Duffy announced on UFC 'Fight Island' card in Abu Dhabi next month". irishmirror.ie. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  10. ^ Evanoff, Josh (2020-07-18). "UFC Fight Island 2 Results: Joel Alvarez Upsets Joe Duffy". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  11. ^ Staff (2020-10-07). "Joel Alvarez vs. Alexander Yakovlev added to UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-10-07. (in Dutch)
  12. ^ "UFC 254 weigh-in results: Khabib needs the towel, but makes weight for title fight". MMA Junkie. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  13. ^ Vreeland, Daniel (2020-10-24). "UFC 254 Results: Joel Alvarez Snags Another Quick Sub, Taps Alexander Yakovlev". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  14. ^ DNA, MMA (2021-03-12). "Joel Alvarez treft Christos Giagos tijdens UFC 262". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  15. ^ John Morgan and Nolan King (2021-05-06). "Sean Soriano returns to UFC following six-year absence, faces Christos Giagos at UFC 262". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  16. ^ Boussenaf, Jamal (2021-09-30). "Thiago Moisés treft Joel Álvarez op 13 november". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  17. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2021-11-12). "UFC Vegas 42 weigh-in results: Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez on point for main event, two others miss". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  18. ^ Anderson, Jay (2021-11-13). "UFC Vegas 42: Joel Alvarez Swarms, Overwhelms Thiago Moises". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  19. ^ Dorff, Marcel (2021-11-29). "Arman Tsarukyan treft Joel Alvarez tijdens UFC evenement op 26 februari". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  20. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-02-26). "UFC Vegas 49: Bloodbath Sees Arman Tsarukyan Open Up Joel Alvarez with Elbows". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  21. ^ Álvaro G. Colmenero (2022-12-13). "Joel Álvarez peleará contra Zubaira Tukhugov en el UFC 284 de Australia". abc.es. Retrieved 2022-12-13. (in Spanish)
  22. ^ Arshad (2023-01-14). "Elves Brenner Replaced J Alvarez against Zubaira Tukhugov at UFC 284". www.itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  23. ^ Arshad (2023-05-01). "Marc Diakiese vs Joel Alvarez Added to UFC London on July 22". www.itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  24. ^ Dewar, Val (2023-07-22). "UFC London: Head Clashes Continue, Allowing Joel Álvarez to Submit Marc Diakiese". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  25. ^ "Joel Álvarez peleará contra Ludovit Klein en el UFC de Arabia Saudí del 2 de Marzo". Eurosport (in Spanish). 2023-12-17. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  26. ^ Farah Hannoun (2024-02-27). "Two UFC Fight Night 238 replacements step in on less than one week's notice". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  27. ^ Sherdog.com. "Joel Alvarez vs. Mateusz Rebecki Slated for UFC Fight Night Event on April 27". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  28. ^ Nolan King (2024-04-11). "Joel Alvarez out of UFC on ESPN 55 bout vs. Mateusz Rebecki". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  29. ^ "UFC - Joel Álvarez ya tiene fecha para su rugreso: Pelera el 3 de agosto contra Elves Brener" (in Dutch). Eurosport. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  30. ^ Dylan Rush (2024-08-03). "UFC Abu Dhabi: Joel Alvarez Stops Elves Brener, Wants King Green Next". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  31. ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2024-08-03). "Bonuses! Joel Alvarez leads $50K winners with impressive TKO - UFC Abu Dhabi". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  32. ^ Álvaro Colmenero (2024-10-24). "Joel Álvarez se enfrentará a Drakkar Klose en el UFC Tampa el 14 de diciembre" (in Spanish). abc.es. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  33. ^ Mathis Desjardins (2024-12-14). "Joel Alvarez Flying Knee Puts Klose Out, Hopes For UFC Spain". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  34. ^ Sherdog.com. "Joel". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-07-18.