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Eddie Alvarez vs. Christian Lee is a fight that has to happen in ONE Championship. Ever since Alvarez signed with the Singapore-based promotion in 2019, he's been asked about facing the young phenom. As the only fighter besides Cris Cyborg to win world titles in both the UFC and Bellator, Alvarez stands as one of the best lightweights of all-time.
Meanwhile, Christian Lee is one of the most exciting fighters from the new generation. Remarkably, 14 out of his 15 victories have come via stoppage. He's still just 23 years old. Despite plenty of back and forth between Alvarez and Lee, the timing has never been quite right. Alvarez's ONE debut didn't go according to plan, and he suffered a first-round KO against Timofey Nastyukin.
He was later expected to fight Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev in the lightweight Grand Prix final but pulled out due to injury. Christian Lee took his place and won the tournament. Christian Lee has now relinquished his lightweight title belt under controversial circumstances. Will the stars finally align for the fans to see Alvarez and Lee go toe to toe? Here are five reasons why it really is the fight to make.
#5. Alvarez & Lee are both coming off losses to Ok Rae Yoon
For a while, Christian Lee's rationale for putting off a fight with Alvarez made sense. Lee was the champion and he wanted to give the title shot to an individual he felt had 'earned it.' Having beaten everyone else in the top 5, Ok Rae Yoon was that man.
The Korean had previously looked fantastic against Alvarez and shown how dangerous he could be with his hands. Despite suffering a broken orbital early on in the fight against Christian Lee, Ok secured a surprise victory. Christian Lee disputed the result and it was taken to the ONE Championship competition committee. The decision was upheld. Naturally, Lee will want an opportunity to get his title back. But with Ok's injury - he won't be able to compete for at least six months.
Meanwhile, Alvarez has not fought since the loss to Ok at ONE on TNT 4 in April. He's made it clear that he came to ONE to win another world title. If he can bounce back with a win against Christian Lee, then he'll spring himself right back into contention for the belt. Alternatively, if Christian Lee beats Alvarez, it will be the biggest name on his resume so far. It would, in turn, reaffirm his status as top dog in the ONE lightweight division as he waits for the Ok rematch.
#4. Alvarez vs. Lee is the perfect fight for the American market
ONE has made no secret of its plans to expand into the US market and Alvarez could play a big part. With plenty of household American names on its roster, the promotion began airing shows for the United States with its 'ONE on TNT' series in 2021. Nicknamed 'The Underground King,' it's fair to say that Alvarez has always been a fan favorite. His action-packed style has earned him numerous 'fight of the year' awards, including his 2017 classic against Justin Gaethje.
In terms of entertainment value, Christian Lee can certainly hold his own. The Hawaii-native burst onto the scene at just 17 years old and tore his way through five consecutive opponents, with all five bouts ending in the first round. He's only gotten better with age, and before losing to Ok, he put together a five-fight winning streak that included finishes against the likes of Kazuki Tokudome, Shinya Aokiand Timofey Nastyukhin.
Christian Lee holds an American passport. He's one of the most explosive finishers in the world. He is from a family of martial artists, including his sister Angela who is the reigning ONE atomweight world champion. He has all the ingredients to be a massive star in the sport. It could be huge if he were to come up against a dance partner like Alvarez and win, especially with a big performance.
A landmark showing against an icon of the sport could well take Christian Lee's career to the next level - especially in the eyes of American fans.
#3. A chance for Eddie Alvarez to get back on the title tilt
It came as a surprise when Eddie Alvarez lost to Timofey Nastyukhin on his ONE debut. The Russian was a very dangerous opponent but was naturally less well-known around the world. UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor was one of the highest-selling UFC pay-per-views of all time. It made the American a household name. Such a rich history in the sport comes with heightened expectations.
Casual fans would no doubt have expected Alvarez to come to Asia and take the competition by storm. It has not worked out that way. So far, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions. Following the Nastyukhin loss, he returned to form as he submitted Eduard Folayang in the first round.
In fairness, Alvarez battered Iuri Lapicus in his next outing, but the fight was ruled a 'no contest' due to strikes to the back of the head. Next came the unanimous decision loss to Ok Rae Yoon - which Alvarez thought he won.
Alvarez is 37 years old. Now is the time to match him up with Christian Lee. Things may not have gone well since he signed with ONE, but he's also suffered from some bad luck as well as contentious refereeing. If he were to fight Christian Lee and come out with the victory, he'd be next in line with a shot a the title. If he capitalized on it, then he'd be the first fighter to win a world title in three different major promotions.
#2. The tension between Alvarez and Lee is already there
Alvarez vs. Lee is a potential banger and this is the fight game. You need to be able to sell the fight to the public. Otherwise, it's just an athlete from the red corner squaring off with an athlete from the blue corner. Any great fight promoter understands the need for spectacle and storytelling. Eddie Alvarez vs. Christian Lee has the requisite tension that precedes so many great fights.
Since day one, the pair have been asked about fighting each other. There is a great narrative surrounding 'the passing of the torch.' They're two fighters from two different generations. The longer time went on without the match being made, the more tension began to grow. When Lee was champion, he said that Alvarez needed to do more to 'earn' a shot. Alvarez disputed that. As far as 'The Underground King' is concerned, he beat Iapicus and Ok.
Alvarez is no stranger to talking trash. The lead-up to the infamous Conor McGregor fight delivered multiple viral moments. Having endured fight week with 'The Notorious', Alvarez can truly mix it up with the best of them. Meanwhile, Christian Lee has repeatedly stated that he's not a fan of talking trash. It's just not his style. However, he's clearly not afraid to hold his own when provoked. He also took to the mic in the wake of his loss to Ok and described the decision as 'bullsh**.' This is somewhat out of character for 'The Warrior'.
Now that Christian Lee has lost his belt - and somewhat unjustly - he may be more than a little riled up. In Alvarez, you have a man who also feels like he was cheated. An opportunity to unleash their frustrations on one another inside the ONE circle to prove who's the better martial artist could be just the antidote.
#1. Legacy
Pride, money, legacy - there are plenty of reasons for fighters to do what they do. Alvarez has already reached the pinnacle of the sport in the US. He conquered the lightweight division in Bellator. He conquered the lightweight division in the UFC. When he moved to ONE, he made his intentions absolutely clear. It was all about the belt. The fastest way to the strap is to make this Christian Lee fight happen.
From Christian Lee's point of view, he may feel he is within his rights to sit out and wait for Ok Rae Yoon to be cleared for a rematch. But that's not necessarily his style. Since making his pro debut as a teenager, Christian Lee has fought an average of four times a year. That's prolific. The man likes to stay active. Is he really going to wait around for 6 months?
Sportskeeda recently interviewed Demetrious Johnson, who had an interesting perspective on the topic.
"Just fight him. I think if he has Eddie's name on his resume, as in, (if) he beat him and knocked him out? I think there's always going to be people out there who'll say - 'he never fought American talent. He never fought in the UFC blah blah blah.' Does that bother him? I don't know. But if it does, then you can go and knock out one of the best lightweights in the world."
Check out Demetrious Johnson's interview with Sportskeeda below:
