Eddie Alvarez has gone from the ‘Underground King’ to the master of the 155lb division and now, with his first title defence coming up next weekend at UFC 205, the lightweight number one has set his eyes on being the most dominant champion ever.
Madison Square Garden in New York City hosts Alvarez’s maiden title defense against history-chasing featherweight champ Conor McGregor. And with the event just a week away, the two shared verbal barbs during last night’s media conference call, where Alvarez insisted he’s been handed an easy fight after a career competing in a much higher class than ‘Notorious’.
“I want to go down as the best lightweight in UFC history – that’s what I’ll go down as,” Alvarez said. “I’ll start with him, but then I’ll make UFC great again and continue to fight the #1 guys who belong here. I sincerely feel, and felt, I deserve a break.
“This will be my break, and then we’ll get back to some real s**t, fighting the real #1 contenders, who fight the best guys and earn their way to the title, not the guys who have a funny accent and sell tickets.”
Alvarez certainly went through the who’s who of the lightweight division, including Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez, before finally defeating Rafael dos Anjos in the summer to become the champion. According to the champion, the McGregor fight is a proverbial walk in the park compared to what he’s used to.
“I went in the UFC, and they put me against every single killer in the division one by one by one by one. I didn’t know why. I thought it was because I was coming in a foreign champion from a foreign promotion, but I felt like they put me against murderers’ row, and I survived. I won the world title,” Alvarez said.
“I wasn’t kidding to the media that I thought this style matchup was a good style matchup for me. I thought it was easier than what they were feeding me, and I thought financially it would be the best decision. I was getting the easier fight. On top of that, it happened to financially be the best decision. I was killing two birds with one stone – an easier fight schedule as well as making more money.”
While complimentary of McGregor’s striking ability, the pride of Philadelphia is anything but when it comes to his defense, and promises the fans in attendance and everyone watching around the world a real show.
Alvarez finished: “I know what I’m capable of, and I can get it done in any manner. If he even thinks about wrestling… his defence is atrocious. He has good striking. His striking is well, but his defence is terrible. Terrible defence. Might be the worst in the division. If he even thinks about wrestling I might just knock him the f**k out before that. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but you guys are all in for a treat.”
