The MMA continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports across the world, with no shortage of nations represented at the top level. The most prestigious of the MMA companies that run events throughout the year is the UFC, but only a handful of stars can ever compete for the titles at the top level of the company.
However, one nation that has churned out a lot of MMA fighters throughout history has been Spain, and that continues to be evident in this modern day. But, who are some of the biggest stars that have represented Spain in MMA competitions?
Enoc Solves Torres
Enoc Solves Torres is widely regarded as the best Spanish MMA fighter of all time. Throughout his career, he has put together a strong record, which is made up of 26 victories and eleven defeats. He has also fought out one draw. He is ranked by Tapology as the 13th best fighter from Western Europe.
The middleweight fights out of Valencia, and was last seen in December of 2021 as he was beaten by Faridun Odilov. However, prior to that, he had won his previous six fights, which included successes against Francisco Gatica, Rusian Shamilov and Artem Shokalo.
Enrique Marin
Another of the most successful Spanish fighters in history is Enrique Marin. The star was born in Seville and has won a total of $13,000 in prize money throughout his career. The 35-year-old competes in the lightweight division, and stands at 178cm tall. Marin has been on a roll in recent years, as he has won his previous two fights by convincing margins.
The most recent of his victories were recorded by Ground & Pound against Alex Quilez in May 2022 in WOW. Other notable victories that he has recorded in his career include successes against Yuki Yamasaki and Hector Aldana.
Daniel Barez
Daniel Barez is one of the best up-and-coming MMA fighters from Spain, as the 33-year-old has won 14 times and lost on just five occasions. Barez fights out of Burjassot, Spain, and stands at 168cm tall. He is currently regarded as the third best active flyweight in the world and the fifth best in the United States.
The 33-year-old has won his previous two fights, with the most recent of those being scored against Paul Marquez Moreno by punches in the first round. His other recent victory was achieved against Ricardo Hernandez at Naciones MMA 3 in January of this year. His only defeat in the previous three years came against Carlos Hernandez by a split decision in the Contender Series.
Abner Lloveras
Abner Lloveras has enjoyed a stellar MMA career, as the Spaniard has won 22 of his professional bouts. He has only lost on eleven occasions, and he fights out of Barcelona, Spain. The 39-year-old stands at 175cm tall, and competes in the welterweight division. Lloveras is regarded as the 29th best welterweight in western Europe and has won on three occasions since the start of 2016.
This most recent of his victories was recorded at Italian Cage Fighting 4, as he won by TKO in the opening round against Alessandro Botti. However, that winning run was ended in 2019 against Jim Wallhead, while he was beaten once again earlier this year at War of Titans 2 by Thibault Gouti.
Joel Alvarez
Joel Alvarez has a stellar professional career in MMA, as he has won 19 of his 22 fights. The 29-year-old fights out of Gijon, Spain, and competes in the lightweight division. He is the only fighter on this list that has competed in the UFC, and many consider that he could be a mainstay on the cards as the years progress. Alvarez stands at 191cm and has a reach of 196cm. One of his biggest victories to date came against Thiago Moises, as he won by TKO in the opening round in November 2021.
However, his most recent outing in the UFC ended disappointingly, as he was beaten in the second round by Arman Tsarukyan. That defeat was a big disappointment, as he had won his first four fights in the UFC before that defeat. His other victories during that period were scored against Alexander Yakovlev, Joe Duffy, and Danilo Belluardo. It does seem like a matter of time before we see the Spanish born UFC star back in the octagon in the UFC very soon, and it could potentially come before the end of 2022.
Betting On MMA
MMA is one of the most popular sports to bet on in this modern day. Wages can be placed on bouts throughout the year, with the most popular being the UFC bouts. Bets with the leading MMA sportsbooks can be placed on the fight outcome and round betting markets.