Alvarez: Win over Poirier should lead to title shot
Eddie Alvarez: “I don’t see them putting anyone else in front of me. It just don’t make any sense. For where I’m at in my career, the people that I’ve went against.”
Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez fights Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC on FOX 30 on Saturday night During the open workouts, ‘The Underground King’ said what a win would mean – a title shot.
There is no one, said Alvarez, as transcribed by Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. I just simply don’t see no gain anywhere except for Khabib. That’s it. I don’t know if the UFC — I don’t see them putting anyone else in front of me. It just don’t make any sense. For where I’m at in my career, the people that I’ve went against. I fight back-to-back-to-back the hardest resume. You name another fighter or anybody in the lightweight division who has fought the toughest guys. You’re hard pressed to find that guy — I’m that guy.
Alvarez and Nurmagomedov were face to face this week at the gym, as ‘The Eagle’ was at fight week for teammate Islam Makhachev.
He walked by, said Alvarez. He didn’t say nothing and I didn’t say nothing. We kept our peace and it is what it is. I wish him luck. Look, it’s hard to get that championship belt. When you have it — it’s hard to get it, it’s hard to keep it. The fight Gods are on his side right now and he’s doing well and I wish him the best of luck.
Alvarez said on Luke Thomas’s The MMA Hour that he knows if Conor returns, that’s who the title shot will go to.
If Conor comes back, Conor will get it, said Alvarez. I’m a realist. This is what’s going to happen. The ability to make $100 million for the UFC is way more important than doing what’s righteous and what’s whatever for the company.
Saturday’s main event is a rematch of sorts. The pair fought at UFC 211 last year, that was changed to a No Contest when Alvarez landed an accidental knee on a grounded opponent. Alvarez said that at that point he was still feeling the effects of the loss of his belt and consciousness to Conor McGregor.
I was too much in my own head, said Alvarez. Very hesitant the first fight, too much thought going on. I didn’t do much. I gave Dustin a lot of space. And you guys are gonna see almost immediately right away the difference in the fight when Dustin Poirier isn’t given the space that he wants and needs to create his opportunities. He does very well. He’s a gifted fighter, talented and athletic. And he does well with space. You take that away, it’s gonna be a long night.
