Eddie Alvarez reveals he suffered broken jaw from 'kill shot' by Jeremy Stephens at BKFC KnuckleMania 5
01/27/2025 03:40 PM
Eddie Alvarez wanted nothing more than to put on a show in front of his hometown crowd in Philadelphia at BKFC KnuckleMania 5 on Saturday but a broken jaw ended his night early.
On Monday, the former UFC lightweight champion showed off a gruesome x-ray that revealed the damage done from his fight with Jeremy Stephens, which came to an end after the third round. Alvarez's coaches stopped the fight with Stephens getting the technical knockout and now we know why "The Underground King" couldn't continue.
"Got hit with a kill shot in the first or second [round]," Alvarez wrote on Instagram. "I did my best to keep a game face and ignore it. By the third round the damage was too much.
"Please understand how bad I wanted this and what I sacrificed in order to win. It wasn't my night. Bare Knuckle is as real as it gets. Unpredictable, fast paced and violent."
This is unfortunately the second time Alvarez was stopped in a bare-knuckle fight after the damage he endured just wouldn't allow him to continue.
Back in December 2023, Alvarez started strong but ultimately couldn't make it past the second round in his fight against Mike Perry after he suffered a broken orbital bone that forced a stoppage in that fight as well.
Alvarez was obviously excited for the chance to compete at home in Philadelphia for the first time in nearly 15 years when he walked to the ring on Saturday. Once again, Alvarez started strong as he traded punches with Stephens but he then suffered a pair of knockdowns in the third round before returning to his corner at the bell.
That's when his coaches opted to stop the fight to prevent him from taking any further damage with a dejected Alvarez disappointed that he wasn't able to win in his hometown.
He did give credit to the entire BKFC KnuckleMania 5 card, which was decorated by jaw-dropping knockouts including several local Philadelphia fighters competing on the bare-knuckle card.
"I'm so happy for our city and the future of our combat athletes," Alvarez said. "Whether I win or lose is not as important as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania slowly becoming the most [dominant] area in the country for combat sports.
"BKFC is the fastest growing and will be the greatest show on Earth. Mark my words."
Alvarez hasn't addressed his future plans after falling to Stephens on Saturday, especially with another layoff expected as he recovers from the broken jaw.
