Alvarez vs. Chandler Pegged for Bellator 54

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A date has been finalized for Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez's next title defense, as Season 4 tournament winner Michael Chandler will vie for the champ's belt Oct. 15 at Bellator 54.

The Chicago-based promotion announced news of the bout Thursday, also revealing that Bellator 54 will go down from the Boardwalk Hall Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J.

Alvarez has looked razor sharp in his last several outings, rattling off seven consecutive wins since joining Bellator in 2009. After winning the promotion's inaugural lightweight tournament to become its first 155-pound champ, the Philadelphia Fight Factory export successfully navigated his way through a pair of non-title super-fights before retaining his title against Pat Curran in his most recent effort at Bellator 39 in April.

“I watched the [Season 4] lightweight tournament very closely and was really impressed with a lot of the competition,” Alvarez said in the official release. “Knowing that Chandler is my opponent, I’ve already gone back and started to watch film, and I’ll be ready. He brings a really good pace, and it’s going to be a great fight.”

Undefeated through eight pro bouts, Chandler has posted five-straight wins inside Bellator's circular cage. “The Brute” used powerful takedowns and effective ground-and-pound to take home the fourth-season tournament crown, first submitting Marcin Held before outpointing Lloyd Woodard and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, respectively.

“Eddie is obviously a world class lightweight, but in a lot of the fights I have watched, no one has really pushed the pace against him,” said Chandler in a statement. “I want to put him on his heels and make him respond to what I’m doing in the cage. I’ve got a few months to prepare, and I’ll be more than ready for Oct. 15.”