Alvarez Stops Huerta, Askren Outpoints Good at Bellator 33

PHILADELPHIA -- Eddie Alvarez threw his name in the mix again as one of the sports’ top lightweights as he was able to stop Roger Huerta in the second round of their Bellator 33 non-title fight at the Liacouras Center.

Alvarez (21-2) could do no wrong for the first four minutes of the opening period. The current Bellator lightweight champion connected with inside low kicks, jabs and uppercuts, but Huerta (21-5-1, 1 NC) kept coming forward while absorbing major damage to both his left eye and left leg.

The UFC veteran’s only success came in an exchange where he landed an overhand right that sent Alvarez stumbling to the floor. The Philly native was able to regain his composure and ended the round without receiving any additional punishment.

In the second stanza, Alvarez targeted Huerta’s left leg and even sent him to the canvas with a snapping low kick. At the end of round two, Huerta bent over and appeared to be in pain. Cageside doctors checked on the former Sports Illustrated cover boy and advised the fight to be stopped.

“Every single thing worked tonight. Every single thing,” said Alvarez. “It was sort of like [my coaches] plugged the remote control into the back of me, told me what to do and played with a paddle just like a video game. Everything went perfect, and I couldn’t be more happy.”

The win was Alvarez’s sixth consecutive conquest since being derailed by a Shinya Aoki heel hook in Dec. 31, 2008.

Blue-chip prospect Ben Askren went into enemy territory and was able to outpoint Lyman Good for his Bellator 170-pound title.

The winner of Bellator’s season three welterweight tournament dominated Good (10-1) on the floor, achieving the mount position in each of the tilt’s five rounds. Askren (7-0) took the unanimous decision with scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47.

It didn’t take long for US Olympian judoka Rick Hawn to impress his new organization with a TKO victory over veteran LeVon Maynard.

For most of the first round, welterweights traded punches and it appeared as though Hawn was trying to close the distance. At what seemed to be the end of a largely uneventful five minutes, Hawn tossed his opponent to the floor with a beautiful judo throw and quickly pounced with hammer fists until referee Keith Peterson stepped in at the 4:53 mark of round one.

With the technical knockout victory, Hawn improved his record to 9-0 with seven stoppages. Maynard dropped to 10-7 in defeat.

Also of note at Bellator 33, Wilson Reis (11-2) claimed a split decision over WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius (12-5) in a featherweight bout.

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Fran Evans def. Lewis Cassner -- Submission (Triangle Choke) 3:20 R1