Joel Alvarez - News & Rumors - UFC

No-shows Philly loss Alvarez lost to Chidi Njokuani via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 28-29) at UFC 330 on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Impact It was a truly dreadful performance from Alvarez as a -335 favorite. Facing off against a Muay Thai specialist in Njokuani, Alvarez was content spending 15 minutes engaging in a point kickboxing match. It predictably didn't go well. When the 15 minutes were up, Alvarez was on the short end of a 155-74 mark in significant strikes landed. The 33-year-old Spaniard looked like a rising star following a streak from June 2019 to October 2025 in which he went 8-1, but he's now lost back-to-back fights in the span of three months and hasn't been competitive in either.

AUGUST 16 • ROTOWIRE

Stepping in as replacement Alvarez will face Chidi Njokuani in a welterweight bout at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on Aug. 15, according to Marcel Dorff of Heavy On Sports.

Impact Alvarez is stepping in as a late replacement for this fight, as Njokuani was initially expected to face Geoff Neal. After Neal withdrew due to injury, Alvarez has been confirmed as the replacement to keep the fight on the UFC 330 card. Alvarez is coming off back-to-back losses against Carlos Prates and Uros Medic.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Gets caught in slick submission Alvarez lost to Yaroslav Amosov via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:13 of Round 2 at UFC 328 on Saturday in Newark.

Impact Alvarez has never been shy about allowing takedowns, as he has always been confident in his ability to win off his back. This is a dangerous game to play against Amosov, a lockdown control grappler with double-digit submission victories. While he was able to use his jab to control range on the feet, Alvarez was outclassed on the mat, leading to a quick tap out after a slam in Round 2. Alvarez came into the organization as a bogeyman at 155 pounds, but it will be interesting to see how he fares at welterweight, a division full of strong grapplers with comparable size. Alvarez fell to 23-4-0 in professional MMA due to the loss.

MAY 10 • ROTOWIRE

Fighting Amosov Alvarez will take on Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 in Newark on May 9, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.

Impact Alvarez will head into the bout riding a four-fight win streak in UFC play dating back to July 2023. The 33-year-old Spaniard will take advantages in both height and reach into the bout compared to the younger Ukrainian fighter. With a perfect 17-0 professional record in submission finishes, Alvarez will undoubtedly be looking to use the ground game in this one.

APRIL 2 • ROTOWIRE

Plans to remain at welterweight Alvarez told reporters following his victory over Vicente Luque at UFC Rio that he intends to remain in the welterweight division.

Impact Alvarez initially made the jump to 170 pounds for this fight so he could serve as a replacement for Santiago Ponzinibbio, but it sounds like this weight class change may be here to stay. In the 32-year-old's words (via a translator), "going back to lightweight would be suicide for me," indicating that he seemingly had a lot of trouble with past weight cuts to 155 pounds. Alvarez stands at 6-foot-3 with a 77-inch reach, so while his typical size advantage will be gone at welterweight, he is by no means considered small for the division. With four consecutive victories, including three via stoppage, he has a chance to make a relatively immediate impact in the rankings.

OCTOBER 14, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Did officials cost Joel Alvarez statement win at UFC Rio? Spaniard comes clean on the controversy Joel Alvarez’s victory over Vicente Luque at UFC Rio was meant to mark a defining moment in his career.

OCTOBER 13, 2025 • SPORTSKEEDA.COM

Dominates in welterweight debut Alvarez defeated Vicente Luque via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Impact Moving up to welterweight following a successful run at lightweight, Alvarez entered as a -600 favorite. He should have earned a Round 1 knockout win was it not for the incompetence of referee Osiris Maia. Alvarez dropped Luque with a punch to the eye and Maia called the fight off. He then backtracked his decision and let Luque see the doctor, allowing the fight to continue. It ended up not mattering in the least as Alvarez cruised the rest of the way, but he had to put in some extra work. At 6-foot-3, Alvarez was about the biggest lightweight on the roster, so he has the frame to succeed should he plan on staying at 170 pounds.

OCTOBER 12, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Filling in for Ponzinibbio Alvarez will fight Vicente Luque at UFC Rio on Oct. 11, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.

Impact A hand injury prevented the 32-year-old from fighting Benoit Saint-Denis earlier this year, but Alvarez is now set to make his return against Luque, replacing Santiago Ponzinibbio (undisclosed). Alvarez will be looking to extend his winning streak to four against an opponent who has lost four of his last six.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Moving up a weight class Alvarez (hand) intends to move up to the welterweight division and is hoping to book his next fight in September or October, Alvaro Colmenero of Eurosport ES reports.

Impact Alvarez last competed in December, extending his winning streak to three with his third consecutive finish. He was due for a major step up in competition against Benoit Saint-Denis in May, but the 32-year-old was forced to withdraw due to a hand injury and has been sidelined since. He's now looking to return this fall at a higher weight class, which should play well given the fact he stands at 6-foot-3 with a 77-inch reach. A fight announcement should be on the way in the upcoming months.

JUNE 15, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Della Maddalena wrests welterweight championship from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.

Jack Della Maddalena beat Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision to wrest away the welterweight championship in the main event at UFC 315

MAY 11, 2025 • Associated Press

Out due to injury Alvarez won't face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10 due to a hand injury, Irati Prat of MARCA reports.

Impact Alvarez was expected to face Saint-Denis at UFC 315, but a hand injury will prevent him from stepping into the octagon. The severity of the injury hasn't been revealed yet, so it remains to be seen when he'll be able to fight again. It's unclear if Saint-Denis will either fight against another opponent, or if the fight will be scrapped from the card.

MAY 3, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Saint-Denis scheduled Alvarez is scheduled to compete against fellow lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.

Impact Alvarez's rise to the top can take a significant leap with his next fight. Before going 0-2 in his last two fights, Saint-Denis was one of the UFC's most promising lightweight contenders for 2024. Alvarez will look to go 8-1 in his last nine fights and establish himself as a legitimate threat for the division's championship.

APRIL 1, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Joel Alvarez ready for return to top 15 after UFC London win over Marc Diakiese Joel Alvarez got a controversial submission win over Marc Diakiese after a head clash at UFC Fight Night 224 at The O2 in London.

JULY 24, 2023 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM

UFC Fight Night 224 video: Joel Alvarez submits Marc Diakiese after accidental clash of heads An accidental headbutt led to the fight-ending sequence for Joel Alvarez.

JULY 22, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Joel Alvarez, Daniel Barez discuss MMA growth in Spain, impact of Ilia Topuria, potential UFC event in 2024 Spain’s Joel Alvarez and Daniel Barez reflect on the growth of MMA in their country.

JULY 21, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Joel Alvarez aware of Marc Diakiese's 'drastic change' to wrestler, but hopes for standup fight at UFC Fight Night 224 Joel Alvarez is prepared for the wrestling threat, but hopes to get into a striking battle with Marc Diakiese at UFC Fight Night 224.

JULY 20, 2023 • KANSASCITY.COM

JULY 20, 2023 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM

JULY 20, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

UFC Fight Night 202 video: Arman Tsarukyan TKOs Joel Alvarez after horrifying cut Arman Tsarukyan caused one of the bloodiest cuts in recent memory against Joel Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 202.

FEBRUARY 27, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Arman Tsarukyan vs Joel Alvarez Odds, Prediction, Fight Info & Betting For UFC Vegas 49 on FanDuel Sportsbook Arman Tsarukyan vs Joel Alvarez UFC Vegas 49 lightweight bout odds, prediction, fight info, stats, stream and betting insights.

FEBRUARY 21, 2022 • FANDUEL.COM

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez Scheduled For February ' Fightful News UFC lightweight contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez are set to collide at a yet-to-be-announced UFC Fight Night event on February 26...

NOVEMBER 29, 2021 • FIGHTFUL.COM

Joel Alvarez v Thiago Moises Odds, Prediction, Fight Info & Betting For UFC Vegas 42 on FanDuel Sportsbook Alvarez vs Moises Fight Info, Date & Time UFC Vegas 42 — Lightweight Bout Joel "El Fenomeno" Alvarez (18-2-0, 2 KO's, 16 Submissions) vs. Th...

NOVEMBER 12, 2021 • FANDUEL.COM

Joe Duffy Announces Retirement from UFC After Fight Night Loss to Joel Alvarez Joe Duffy is calling it a career after his lightweight loss to Joel Alvarez at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2. The 32-year-old...

JULY 19, 2020 • BLEACHERREPORT.COM

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Della Maddalena wrests welterweight championship from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.