MMA fighter Eddie Alvarez revealed he not only suffered defeat but also a broken jaw after his fight with Jeremy Stephens.
The former UFC lightweight champion displayed an x-ray on Instagram that showed the extent of the damage done to his jaw. His fight with Stephens was interesting and off to a great start, but the fighter’s coach called off the fight after the third round leaving Stephens winner via TKO.
“Got hit with a kill shot in the first or second [round],” Alvarez wrote on Instagram. “I did my best to keep a game face and ignore it. By the third round, the damage was too much. Please understand how bad I wanted this and what I sacrificed in order to win. It wasn’t my night. Bare Knuckle is as real as it gets. Unpredictable, fast-paced and violent.”
This is not Alvarez’s first time suffering serious damage in the cage that led to a stoppage. Back in December 2023, Alvarez started strong but ultimately couldn’t make it past the second round in his fight against Mike Perry after he suffered a broken orbital bone that forced a stoppage in that fight as well.
The fighter’s recent fight was in his hometown, Philadelphia, and he was excited to be competing home for the first time in years, but his excitement was soon soured as he couldn’t finish the fight due to his injuries.
“I’m so happy for our city and the future of our combat athletes,” Alvarez said. “Whether I win or lose is not as important as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, slowly becoming the most [dominant] area in the country for combat sports.
“BKFC is the fastest growing and will be the greatest show on Earth. Mark my words.”
Nonetheless, Alvarez is excited for more opportunities in the future and praised the fighters who competed on the card. He is happy to be a part of BKFC and believes the promotion will be the biggest show on earth in the near future.
“Congrats to all the new Up-and-coming Philly standouts @cody__fights @teamgarbarino @theanimalbkfc @hevweightbrady on their wins. You, Men are the Future and made Philadelphia Proud. I’m soo Happy for our City and the future of our Combat Athletes. Whether I win or lose is not as important as Philadelphia/Pennsylvania slowly becoming the most dominate Area in the country for Combat Sports. @bareknucklefc is the fastest growing and will be the Greatest Show on Earth .. Mark my words. Thank you, Philadelphia, for showing out,” Alvarez added.
Alvarez hasn’t addressed his future plans after falling to Stephens on Saturday, especially with another layoff expected as he recovers from the broken jaw.
