MMA Squared Ep 25: Former champions at a crossroads on FOX

Eddie Alvarez, Jose Aldo and Joanna Jędrzejczyk each face title hungry opponents as they wrestle with their own career trajectories and legacies.

Welcome to another MMA Squared and after the Horror In Hamburg, we are excited for a card full of fighters we recognize and whose legacies are not quite on the line, for whom the stakes are high nonetheless.

While some say the headliner is for a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov, or the “most violent” fighter bragging rights, you know this is simply the most well coiffed matchup in lightweight history. Eddie Alvarez is lined up like it’s prom night and Dustin Poirier has been turning heads ever since he stopped looking like the younger brother in American History X.

Joanna Jędrzejczyk makes her first non-title appearance since 2014.

Many suspect she will head to the 125lb division, but taking on an opponent like Tecia Torres implies the former champ still covets the 115lb belt, and “The Tiny Tornado “has a habit of making every opponent look unimpressive.

Finally, we have one of the more diametrically opposed pairs in recent history. Jeremy Stephens, the epitome of what Dana White considers a “company man,” has finally found his way into a title eliminator fight.

And Jose Aldo, who wore gold for six straight years with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, will fight in a non-title bout for the first time in his UFC tenure. It’s tragic that his legacy has been unheralded by all but the hardcorest of fans, but that is the downside of providing more sport than entertainment.

As always, MMA Squared is brought to you by Combat Wombat, and expression of marsupial violence known... somewhere. Thanks to everyone who supported the shirt campaign, I do appreciate you letting me know that they’ve started arriving.

Take care of yourself, and I’ll talk to you next week.

Chris