Pro poker player Olivier Busquetwas an MMA novice, with no formal training, but was looking for some training motivation. He hit upon the idea of challenging someone in the pro poker community to an MMA fight, and put up $120,000.
JC Alvarado, who is larger and has been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu off and on since 2011., bit on the offer, and put up $150,000 of his own. So someone was getting a six figure payday for their first smoker, which has to be a record for the sport.
For reasons unknown, they decided in five rounds, which are normally reserved for title bouts.
“We have to figure out the venue, the judges, and the ref,” said Alvarado to PokerNews in October of last year. “He wanted six months to change, so we’re shooting right before Monaco, SCOOP, and WSOP, which is like a busy period. Before that there’s kind of nothing going on. We figured we’d train six months and then fight right around the end of April.”
“I think most people are kind of thinking I’m like some badass MMA fighter, which I’m not. I’ve been training for a while, but it’s been so sporadic that I teeter between barely making it to blue belt level in jujitsu and then not train six months and go back to being white belt level. I’m not that good. Who knows how athletic Olivier is.”
It’s the end of April, and they did it, at the famed Syndicate MMA. Busquet weighed 187.5, to Alvarado’s 165. The oddsmakers had it Alvarado (-115) Busquet (-105), giving Alvarado a win probability of about 54%.
The results were solid for a smoker.
Busquet quickly landed some sharp shots from standing, then when it went to the ground, worked his ground and pound from top half guard and the mount. In the second, Alvarado landed some low kicks, and ate some well-timed counters. When it went to the gound again, Alvarado threatened with a triangle, but it was denied, and then Busquet resumed his GnP. In the third, Busquet got a takedown, and ably defended against submissions attempts from guard, while continuing the pounding. Alvarado ended the match bleeding.
Alvarado wisely decided not to come out for the fourth round, losing via TKO.
