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**norway1** · 05-10-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Joachim Hansen takes on Eddie Alvarez in the second round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix. MMAWeekly caught up with both competitors before they face off May 11 in Saitama, Japan.

Joachim Hansen is coming off back-to-back wins, entering this fight as the favorite, but many feel Eddie Alvarez is the dark-horse to win the tournament.

"We have similar styles and it's going to be a good fight," Hansen told MMAWeekly.com.

Alvarez respects Hansen's abilities and agrees with his assessment of their fighting styles. "Even before this tournament, I was a big fan of Joachim," said Alvarez. "I like the way Joachim fights. He's much like myself. He fights to finish the fight, not to win the fight, and I think the two of our styles, the way we clash, it can only make for the most exciting fight of the tournament."

This is the biggest fight of Alvarez' career and the American fighter recognizes the opportunity before him. "I realize the opportunity that's ahead of me, and it's allowed myself to push myself beyond barriers that I've ever pushed myself," said Alvarez.

"I believe this is the finals match. It's unfortunate that it has to happen so soon, but if we didn't get to fight, it would also be unfortunate. If we're going to fight, we might as well do it now and give the fans what they want to see. I think it's a great match up."

Hansen is a natural lightweight and has competed in that division his entire career. Alvarez recently moved down to the lightweight division from the 170-pound welterweight class. "I've been training very hard this time, so I'm a little bit under weight," commented Hansen. "I'm eating a lot to make the weight."

Alvarez will have a size advantage over Hansen, and expects to enter the ring well above the 154 weight limit after re-hydrating following stepping on the scales for the weigh-ins.

"I usually start my cut around 176, something like that, 176 pounds and I cut my weight down to 154 ," stated Alvarez.

"I would have never come down to 154 if I didn't feel it was to my advantage," said the Pennsylvania fighter. "I feel like I'm a lot bigger than some of the guys, and I'm a lot stronger. I've proved I can knock guys out at 170 pounds, and I think I can do it again here at 155, just in more devastating fashion."

Both athletes foresee conditioning being a factor in the outcome of the fight. "The first round is ten minutes and we're prepared to go ten minutes," said Hansen. "You have to be smart and try and save some strength to use."

"I'm in the best condition that I've ever been in, in my life," commented Alvarez. "I think a lot of it will come down to conditioning. We both seem to get ahead of ourselves. We're very aggressive. We try to finish fights, so that will be a key factor. I think conditioning is going to play a key role in the outcome of the fight."

(To see the full pre-fight interviews with Joachim Hansen and Eddie Alvarez, check out MMAWeekly's FREE video library.)

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...=6247&zoneid=2

cabby · 05-10-2008, 10:57 AM

Gonna be some fireworks here. Hansen FTW

**norway1** · 05-10-2008, 11:01 AM

im so f`ing stoked about this card. anybody know if there is gonna be english speaking commentary on this ? i heard somewhere that Bas is commentating ?

**ZeroPRIDE** · 05-10-2008, 01:36 PM

War Alvarez!!

UFC 87: SEEK AND DESTROY

DREAM.5: LIGHT WEIGHT GRANDPRIX

AFFLICTION: BANNED

UFC Fight Night: SILVA vs. IRVIN

CAGE RAGE 27 - STEP UP

UFC 86: JACKSON vs. GRIFFIN

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