DANIEL ALVAREZ

In Daniel Alvarez's young bare-knuckle career, the highlight has got to be fighting one of the best to ever step into the Squared Circle in Reggie Barnett on short notice for a bantamweight title. In that fight, as crazy as it sounds, Barnett was looking for a way out as he ended the fight by pointing out Alvarez's broken hand, scoring a TKO that left all watching confused. It's clear to anyone who watched that matchup, that even the champ at the time was nervous about the former flyweight's striking prowess.

After defeating Joshua Ridge in an upset, it seemed Alvarez was content on working his way up in his natural weight class of 125 but opportunity came knocking and the San Diego kid couldn't pass on the chance at holding a bantamweight title.

With a nasty, hard hitting style, Alvarez doesn't give his opponent a chance to breathe before they are eating ones and twos and they're backed up against the ropes or on the canvas. Although a case could be made that Alvarez was not ready for a title shot just one fight into his bare-knuckle career, he more than held his own there and still holds a win over one of the greatest 125'ers in the world's premier BK promotion.

Alvarez is no easy fight for anyone in the lighter weight classes and he will continue to instill fear into any who stand opposite of him within the Squared Circle for years to come. Don't be surprised to see him ranked in two weight classes in the near future.