CALGARY, AB - JULY 26: Eddie Alvarez interacts with the media during the UFC Fight Night Ultimate Media Day event at Hyatt Regency Calgary on July 26, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Who has the edge at ONE: NEW ERA, Eddie Alvarez or Timofey Nastyukhin?

As part of the stacked ONE: NEW ERA card on March 31 from Japan, Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez will make his ONE Championship debut.

Alvarez’s first bout will be a quarterfinal match in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix tournament, and his opponent is Timofey Nastyukhin. The 29-year-old Russian is coming off a KO loss at the hands of Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES in Sept.

Interestingly enough, Alvarez suffered a stoppage defeat in his last bout as well. He was stopped by Dustin Poirier, so both men will be looking to get back to their winning ways. In Alvarez’s case, those ways have led him to World Championships with Bodog, Bellator and the UFC, and now he’s hoping to reach the same level with ONE Championship.

Nastyukhin has been in with former ONE World Champions during his career, and he owns a TKO victory over current lightweight titleholder Eduard Folayang. Still, he knows his resume doesn’t compare to Alvarez. However, he is hoping that leads to Alvarez taking him lightly.

“For sure, my profile is not the best among Eddie’s recent opponents,” Nastyukhin said. “If he underestimates me, it is good for me.”

If we take a look at each fighter’s skill set, we can detect which should have the edge once the cage door shuts.

Striking and Defensive Skills

Both men love to trade shots, and quite frankly, neither is terribly tough to hit. Alvarez is known for his power and relentless attack on the feet. Natstyukhin has also demonstrated his ability to stop opponents with his hands. Alvarez has more bouts, but he still has a higher KO percentage at 55 than Nastyukhin, who has stopped 50 percent of his foes.

While both men are there to be hit, we’d give Alvarez the edge in striking overall. His boxing background should come in handy.

Grappling and Submission Defense

You wouldn’t know if you watched most of Alvarez’s recent bouts, but he’s a good wrestler. Nastyukhin knows it, and it seems as if he’s a bit concerned about that aspect of the matchup.

“He has good wrestling, he is tough, experienced and strong,” Nastyukhin said of Alvarez. “I can offer him striking exchanges, aggression, and my endurance is really good. I am also becoming more well-rounded fighter, working on all areas, so it is not going to be easy fight for Eddie.”

There is no question, Alvarez has the clear advantage if the match goes to the ground. However, the question is, will Alvarez play to that advantage or go looking for a KO in his promotional debut? He could probably make the bout easier for himself if he took it to the mat.

Heart and Stamina

No one will ever question Alvarez’s heart. He has battled back from defeats, rescued himself from the brink of a stoppage to win, and more. He’s a true warrior who will keep coming at an opponent until he drops, or scores the KO victory.

Nastyukhin isn’t much different. The Russian likes to come forward applying pressure while looking to land heavy shots. With both men showing not much fear when competing, we’d have to call it a draw in this area.

Overall Edge

It’s easy to pick Alvarez to emerge victorious in his ONE Championship debut. He may be too well-rounded and experienced for Nastyukhin. Alvarez has already had as many KO wins as Nastyukhin has had bouts in his career, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Alvarez notch another finish on his belt.

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