Dubbed "the people's main event" by many, the battle of The Ultimate Fighter 26 coaches Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje delivered.
A brutal war that lasted nearly three rounds, the former WSOF Champion Gaethje attacked the leg of Alvarez with regularity in a game plan that was clear from the start. That didn't stop both men from trading huge blows as they tried their best to work towards a title shot in the 155 pound lightweight division, currently ruled by Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson.
Battling a jaw that made him look like prime Lenny Dykstra, Eddie Alvarez clocked Gaethje with a huge knee that finished him off. It was Gaethje's first loss.
You can see an excerpt from the fight in our Fightful live coverage below.
Round Three: The round begins with Gaethje immediately attacking Alvarez with leg kicks, Alvarez comes forward and he swings away at Gaethje. Alvarez eats more leg kicks as he attacks Gaethje with combinations, the fighters stand in the middle of the cage while swinging away at each other. Gaethje attempts a high kick before nailing Alvarez with an uppercut, Alvarez responds by attacking Gaethje with a knee strike. Alvarez eats a ton of leg kicks while swinging away at Gaethje, Alvarez scores a takedown and Gaethje gets right back up. Gaethje pops Alvarez with an uppercut after throwing more leg kicks, Alvarez comes forward to nail Gaethje with uppercuts. Gaethje nails an incoming Alvarez with uppercuts and right hooks, Alvarez destroys Gaethje with a knee strike and the referee jumps in.
Official Result: #4 Eddie Alvarez def. #5 Justin Gaethje by TKO via knee strike (3:59, R3)
After the fight, Alvarez admitted that if the fight were a five rounder, he would have needed a third round finish to ensure a victory because of the condition of his leg. Alvarez holds the distinction of defeating fighters who have held UFC, WSOF, Strikeforce, Bellator, Shooto, WEC, One FC, Dream and DEEP lightweight champions.
Both Alvarez and Gaethje were transported to the hospital and weren't around for post-fight activities.
See our full UFC 218 results and live coverage at this link, and the Fightful.com post-show Podcast at this link.
