Carlos “Limitless” Alvarez is ready to take on bigger responsibilities for Team Lakay, just as the famous squad from Benguet looks to showcase its next generation of warriors from the mountains.
Alvarez wants to prove that Team Lakay’s future is in good hands when he shoots for his second win in ONE Championship against Reza Saedi at ONE Friday Fights 25 on July 14 from inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
A mass exodus in April consisting of several marquee names from Team Lakay allowed Alvarez to step up and prove that the next generation is ready to stand on the frontlines.
“For me, this is a really big challenge because there’s that pressure on us knowing that we’re the next guys up, that we’re representing Team Lakay on the international stage,” he said.
“It’s a blessing for us, too, since it’s an opportunity for us to show what we’ve been preparing for.”
Getting this kind of opportunity can sometimes be too much for young fighters, and the 24-year-old is not immune to second-guessing himself.
Ironically, it was the words of his seniors, who are now part of Lions Nations MMA, that made him believe that he belonged on this stage.
“You can’t avoid having second thoughts, but at the same time, our seniors who have since left have been saying that I’m ready to do it and that I’m skilled enough to compete at that level,” he said.
“The only thing missing then was opportunity. Now that I have it, I have to grab it.”
Although the pressure will always be there for him, Alvarez knows that he’s prepared well for his team.
“They always say that we in the next-gen are the more complete fighters because since our early years, we’ve been practicing jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and striking. So, we’re very well-versed in all manners of the fight game,” he said.
“We also benefited greatly from the experiences of our older teammates. It’s a really big deal for us to become the next standard-bearers.”
