Both fighters have the skills to press the action, but Alvarez believes more than ability will come into play.

"I think this is going to be who comes out on top, who's the more conditioned fighter and who's more focused that night," he said. "I plan on being better in all areas."

By focus Alvarez means letting the fight evolve the way it's supposed to evolve and not getting ahead of himself. In a tournament, it's tempting to look forward to the next round and potential opponents. The format is like a real-life Hobbesian "war of all against all."

Yet for Alvarez, fighting is more about camaraderie than animus.

"They probably worked just as hard as I did," he said of the other fighters in the field. "They're going in there to perform just as I am. I'm not looking at anybody with any sort of animosity. It may look like that when I'm in there doing what I'm doing, but I'm just performing and doing what I know how to do."

If Alvarez gets by Hansen, the journey ahead could be even more challenging. He seems comfortable facing anyone, however, as long as it is a compelling matchup.

"If I get Kawajiri next round, then great," Alvarez said after explaining that he'll be prepared against anyone. "My whole camp and I feel like we match up great against him."

It's hard not to notice how happy Alvarez seems just to be fighting in a big show alongside an elite group of fighters. Not so much that he is complacent, but the experience is about more than just victory.

"It's not really so much about going there and winning and winning and winning," he said. "It's more about going there and being able to perform. … Anybody can win. It all depends on who's more focused that night of the fight. We're all really great fighters."

In the panache and visceral aggression that Alvarez displays in the ring, it is easy to overlook how down to earth and humble he really is. He exudes integrity in many ways uncharacteristic of his relatively young age.

The fact that he had a son at a young age and recently had his second seems to motivate Alvarez to be a better role model.

"My main objective, first and foremost, is to be a great father and show my kids ways of success so that they can duplicate it when they get older and that they know success is available to them," he said with earnestness. "I want to be an example for that. I want to show them that you can be successful through hard work and determination."

Haigh, who met Alvarez in high school and has worked with him since near the beginning of his career in 2002, also attributes Alvarez's blue-collar background and roots in Philadelphia as pivotal in forming his moral core.

"He doesn't come from a rich family," Haigh said. "He's typical of many people in this city. They're working nine-to-five jobs, and families like that, you kind of tend to appreciate things more, as well as your family and friends that really mean the most to you. A lot of people from similar upbringings have that same kind of behavior."

The City of Brotherly Love has embraced Alvarez by supporting him in, well, typical mob fashion. Accounts of Alvarez working crowds into frenzies are like modern-day folklore. While thrilled at the opportunity to fight in Japan, he was disappointed that his fans in Philly couldn't see his win over Amade in person -- but now at least they can watch his fights on HDNet.

"It sucks knowing that when I'm [in Japan], I'm kind of there all alone and they're not able to see it," Alvarez said. "They're huge fans and they want to be able to follow my career and see what I'm doing. Just the fact that we're able to pick it up in the United States now is huge for me, first of all, and it's just great for my fans cause the support they give me, they deserve to able to watch me no matter where I fight."

Alvarez feeds off the fans. He had expected to leave such support back home when traveling to Japan, but surprisingly Japanese fans have picked up right where his Philly following left off.

"I was surprised the way the Japanese took to me," he said of their tremendous support. "They treated me like the people in Philly here treat me. I was very thankful for that. I felt very at home, more at home than I thought I should have being there."

Alvarez's bout Sunday against Hansen is sure to be a crowd-pleasing barnburner. Whatever the outcome, one thing is for certain: At the end of the tournament, Alvarez will have fans baying on both sides of the Pacific.