Tonight Eddie Alvarez gets a rematch with Shinya Aoki in the main event of Bellator 66 at the I-X Center in Cleveland.

I’ve been asking for this fight for about three years,”Alvarez recently told Sherdog.com. “Now I finally have my chance, and I’m just ready to go out there and take advantage of it. I think I’m a much better submission artist than I was the last time me and Aoki fought. I think I have a lot more tools on the ground now. I also just think that I’m a better all around fighter than I was three years ago. I’ve been able to grow leaps and bounds.

I know I can compete with the best lightweights in the world, and I was still questioning that when I fought Aoki the first time. I think that when you believe in yourself it really reflects on how you compete, and I have that now. t’s really important to get a hold of a guy ranked in the top five and to prove myself against a guy that’s in the upper echelon of the division like Aoki. That’s the only way for me to get back to the top of the division and the only way to get fans to tune in.

I know Aoki has been focusing on his muay Thai lately, but I think he’s just doing enough so he can hang in there on the feet. He’s always going to go back to his bread and butter. At the end of the day, no matter how much striking he does, his goal is always going to be to get me to the ground. For me, knocking my opponent out is pretty much the goal in every fight. If I get in a shootout with most guys, I’m going to put most guys away. That’s always been my strength and that will always be an advantage for me.

I feel like I owe Aoki one, so I can’t just win a decision. He finished me, so I would love nothing more than to return the favor. I definitely feel like I owe him one for the way he got me, so I’m going to come after him and try to finish him in the same manner.

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