At UFC Rio, Joel Alvarez scored a unanimous decision win over Vicente Luque, delivering an impressive performance in his welterweight debut. Alvarez controlled the striking and grappling exchanges, continually threatening Luque and showing improvements in cardio and IQ. This makes four wins in a row for Alvarez, propelling his record to 23-3 and confirming him as a serious new face in the UFC’s 170-pound division.
The next logical step for Alvarez is a matchup with Daniel Rodriguez. Rodriguez brings a gritty southpaw boxing style, durability, and recent wins over Kevin Holland and Santiago Ponzinibbio. Stylistically, Alvarez’s rangy, opportunistic jiujitsu and clean kickboxing would meet Rodriguez’s steady pressure and experience, setting up a bout ripe for tactical exchanges and highlight-reel moments. For Alvarez, it’s a chance to stake his claim among the welterweight elite; for Rodriguez, it’s a test to reassert himself as a gatekeeper—or more.
Last Five Fights – Joel Alvarez:
1. Win over Vicente Luque – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs. Gamrot (October 12, 2025)
2. Win over Drakkar Klose – KO/TKO (knee), UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley (December 15, 2024)
3. Win over Elves Brener – KO/TKO (strikes), UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov (August 3, 2024)
4. Win over Marc Diakiese – Submission (triangle choke), UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura (July 22, 2023)
5. Loss to Arman Tsarukyan – KO/TKO (elbows), UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green (February 27, 2022)
Last Five Fights – Daniel Rodriguez:
1. Win over Kevin Holland – Decision (unanimous), UFC 318 (July 20, 2025)
2. Win over Santiago Ponzinibbio – KO/TKO (left hook), UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo (May 4, 2025)
3. Win over Alex Morono – Decision (split), UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira (October 13, 2024)
4. Loss to Kelvin Gastelum – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov (June 22, 2024)
5. Loss to Ian Machado Garry – KO/TKO (punches), UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida (May 13, 2023)
A fight with Daniel Rodriguez would be the perfect next challenge for Joel Alvarez—an exciting, relevant test as he continues his rise at welterweight.