Eddie Alvarez out of Extreme Challenge: War at the Shore

East Coast MMA fans were certainly will be dispaointed if they show up for Extreme Challenge: War at the Shore on January 23rd expecting to see a main event with Philadelphia fighter Eddie Alvarez. Apparently Alvarez is not ready to fight only 22 days after his submission loss to Shinya Aoki at FieLDS K-1 Dynamite on New Years Eve in Saitama, Japan. Here’s the official word from Sherdog:

Alvarez (15-2) sustained a leg injury during his brief encounter with submission expert Shinya Aoki at K-1 “Premium Dynamite 2008” on New Year’s Eve and has been forced to withdraw. The wily Japanese groundsman ensnared Alvarez’s leg in the bout’s opening moments, forcing the tapout to a heelhook at 1:33. The loss was Alvarez’s second to date.

Though an MRI has revealed no tears or other substantial damage to Alvarez’s knee, the popular Philadelphia-bred fighter said ligaments are “looser than they should be” and he will take the time to recuperate properly, he told Sherdog Radio’s “Beatdown” on Wednesday.

Alvarez was slated to fight Naoyuki Kotani at the Tropcana Hotel and Casino for the Extreme Challenge promotion. Promoter Monte Cox says that Alvarez and Kotani will fight again in the future and another main event is in the works.