Alvarez hits the comeback trail
Philly native has 3rd fight in 3 years
PHILADELPHIA — Eddie Alvarez got a kick out of seeing the landmarks in his Kensington neighborhood on the big screen in “Creed.”
When the fictional fighter Adonis Creed spars at Front Street Boxing, it’s the same gym where Alvarez got his start at 8 years old. Alvarez’s padman, Ricardo McGill, had a cameo. The beat-up bars and hardscrabble streets all stirred emotions for one of the UFC’s top lightweight contenders.
“Just seeing where I grew up, the streets, that was the coolest part of ‘Creed’ for me,” he said.
Alvarez (26-4) wants to give Philly fight fans a real reason to cheer when he takes on Anthony Pettis (18-3) at “UFC Fight Night 81” on Sunday in Boston.
Both fighters have plenty to prove in the co-main event of a stout card. Pettis, who made a splash after coming over from WEC, fights for the first time since he lost his lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185. Alvarez lost his UFC debut to Edgewood’s Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the wake of a bitter split with Bellator and is fighting for just the third time in three years.
“I feel like it’s taken me a little while just to get comfortable and enjoy a UFC fight,” Alvarez said. “There’s been so much built-up anxiety, and I hate fighting like that. I think I’m settled down there and usually that’s where I do my best. Third round is always my best, so I’ll call my third fight my best.”
Alvarez has his aim on a championship bout — with or without Conor McGregor in the way — and beating Pettis can only solidify his spot as a pay-per-view title contender.
“The only way I lose is if I make small, fundamental mistakes,” he said. “I just don’t see it.”
Alvarez hoped a return to his roots could help him return to form.
The 31-year-old Alvarez ditched his training camp in Florida and moved back to Philadelphia in January 2015 to train year-round in the area. He commutes more than he did when he trained in Florida, but with a wife and four young children, he wanted to stay close to home.
With his family in the stands, Alvarez said he would love to fight for a championship and headline a card in Philadelphia.
Alvarez could even share the card again with Philadelphia native Paul Felder. “The Irish Dragon” fights Sunday on the Fight Pass prelim card against Daron Cruickshank. Felder, coming off two straight losses, spent the past few weeks training in Philadelphia.
Felder (10-2) credited his Philly upbringing for sparking a love of MMA: “The karate school I trained at when I was a kid saved me from sitting out on those steps and drinking 40s.”
He mixed training with acting and earned roles in plays staged at three major Philadelphia theaters. Felder has become friends with Rob McElhenney, one of the stars and creators of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” McElhenney, a noted MMA fan, lived for a week in a fight ranch with Felder and Cerrone in New Mexico to write a screenplay in isolation.