Chandler, Alvarez reflect on epic bout
It was the first time I’ve felt pain during a fight, said Chandler, who earned a crack at Alvarez by…
It was the first time I’ve felt pain during a fight, said Chandler, who earned a crack at Alvarez by winning Bellator’s eight-man tournament earlier this year. Thankfully the adrenaline kicked in and I went into the mode where I knew I’d be swollen and bruised anyway the next day, so why not go for it?
(Bellator’s cutman) told me I had to go out there and knock him out because the doctor was going to stop it. This sort of f—ed up my mentality and made me feel a little desperate, said Alvarez, who was Bellator’s biggest signing when the promotion debuted on ESPN Deportes in April 2009.
There were a couple times I hit him clean, but he has the same attribute as me: he’s hard to put away, said Alvarez, who credits his conditioning for his ability to recover phenomenally from two heart-stopping first-round knockdowns and Chandler’s constant pressure. I realized I had to go all five (rounds) or submit him.
I had to attack his presence in the cage from the start, said Chandler, who wrestled alongside fellow Bellator champion Ben Askren and Strikeforce standout Tyrone Woodley at UM. Everyone lets him take the driver’s seat, lets him control the pace. I knew I couldn’t let that happen.
A lot of fighters have said they’re going to get in my face, but they don’t, said Alvarez. I didn’t expect Mike to come out as aggressively as he did. He got me good, too.
