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 • ROTOWIRE
