Monday Morning Hangover: Donald Cerrone crashes Eddie Alvarez's UFC welcome party

Another action-packed weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone as UFC 178 blew the roof off the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past weekend (Sat., Sept 27, 2014) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Dustin Poirier -- who was knocked out by Conor McGregor in the very first round (video). And Tim Kennedy -- who was beat down by Yoel Romero, though it wasn't without controversy (read about it).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover now less than 48 hours removed from the show?

Eddie Alvarez.

The former Bellator lightweight champion looked to make a splash in his much-anticipated debut and prove that his presence inside the Octagon was well worth the wait. Something that was years in the making, thanks to what seemed to be never-ending bitter disputes and legal battles with his former employer.

Standing in his way was longtime UFC veteran, Donald Cerrone, who was pegged with the duty of welcoming one of the best 155-pounders in the world into the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion on the planet.

And as Eddie learned the hard way, just like Khabib Nurmagomedov warned him, fighting inside the eight-walled cage is nothing like fighting in other organizations.

For three rounds, "Cowboy" put on a stand-up clinic against one of the best strikers in the sport, utilizing his near-perfect kickboxing game to pick Eddie apart round by round.

Though Alvarez did have his bright moments in the bout, Cerrone proved to be too much for the former champion, using his reach and length to his advantage by staying at bay and peppering Eddie at will.

In the end, his kicking game proved to be too much for Alvarez, who was forced to constantly switch stances thanks to the pain that comes from eating a good dosage of Cerrone's kicks to the leg.

One of them even floored Eddie.

From there, it felt like it was only a matter of time before an eventual finish came. Though it never did, as Alvarez has proven throughout his career that he is one tough cookie to crack, Cerrone cruised his way to a unanimous decision victory.

While the loss is a tough one for Alvarez -- especially since he had to jump through hoops, duke it out in court, and wait for his chance to finally ply his skills inside the UFC cage -- it's not the end of the world for the talented lightweight.

He is still a skilled fighter who can provide a stiff challenge for any 155 pounder on the UFC roster. He still has plenty of time to make some noise, too, and perhaps even a run at the title.

While it's easier said than done, if Eddie can manage to rack up a few impressive victories; he'll be right back in the mix in a division that isn't short on challengers at the moment.

A fight against Jim Miller -- whose last loss also came at the hands of Cerrone -- would be a good bounce back fight for Alvarez.

Any objections?