Who doesn’t love a good rubber match? Each fighter has a win over the other, both are high level fighters, the belt is on the line (again) and it’s on Pay-Per-View. Of course I’m talking about the third and most likely final fight between Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler.

Chandler beat Alvarez in their first fight, back in 2011, where he submitted the (then) champ via rear naked choke in the fourth round. Last year the two men fought again, this time Alvarez pulled out a split decision win and took the belt back. Now the trilogy will be completed when they fight May 17. It should also be noted that both of their previous fights have been contenders for fight of the year, so it’s close to impossible for this upcoming title fight to be anything but edge of your seat greatness.

Sherdog recently spoke with Alvarez at Bellator 110. When asked about the emotions surrounding the upcoming fight Alvarez said that the first fight, where he lost, “hurt badly and I still hold that pain with me” and that he never wanted to feel that pain again, so he made a promise to himself to never let that happen. “I’m going to keep that promise to myself and finish out this trilogy, hopefully with a good finish.”

Alvarez was asked about any differences between the fights and he responded by saying that he just made adjustments and that there’s, “a blueprint to fight guys like Mike Chandler.” He feels that his team and he have figured out that blueprint and that’s the reason he won the second fight. For the third fight Alvarez said, “I don’t have to make too many more changes. I think I have to do what I did, just do it better, do it faster, do it stronger”.

By: Ryan C. Miller