'Dude just walks forward like a zombie' - Inside the minds of those who have fought Justin Gaethje

Eddie Alvarez looked like he was holding a golf ball in his mouth, and his right cheek was comically swollen. To compound matters, Alvarez's left leg was barely mobile due to numerous hard kicks to it.

In Detroit, the former UFC lightweight champion was embroiled in the third round of a back-and-forth barn burner with Justin Gaethje at UFC 218 on Dec. 2, 2017. Neither man was giving an inch. Near the middle of the final round, Alvarez pulled Gaethje into a clinch, pushed his head down and landed some short punches to Gaethje's face.

«I knew he was exhausted; he knew I was,» Alvarez told ESPN. «So, we would get in a clinch and we'd start talking to each other. But I was punching him.… I was telling him to 'eat that.' I'm like 'eat this, eat that.' And then, he in return, said to me, 'I love it.'»

Two titles are on the line at UFC 274. Charles Oliveira aims to keep his winning streak alive against one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, Justin Gaethje, and Rose Namajunas faces Carla Esparza in her latest strawweight title defense. Plus, Tony Ferguson faces Michael Chandler.

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UFC 274: Oliveira vs. GaethjeSaturday, May 7, Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona • Main card: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ • Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+

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Shortly afterward, Alvarez landed a knee in a clinch that knocked Gaethje out, escaping with a victory in a Fight of the Night performance for both. For Alvarez, Gaethje's verbal response to him that night was a testament to his never-back-down attitude — his unbridled passion for fighting itself,