EVER SINCE HE became the UFC’s lightweight champion in July, Eddie Alvarez has been referring to the prospect of facing Conor McGregor as a break from the run of difficult fights he has endured since his move to the UFC from Bellator.
Alvarez relinquished his Bellator lightweight title in 2014 and has since taken on Donald Cerrone, Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos, who he defeated in Las Vegas four months ago to clinch the UFC strap.
In that post-fight press conference, the Philadelphia native expressed his interest in taking on McGregor, the UFC’s reigning featherweight champion. Alvarez’s assessment of McGregor was that he’d make for a straightforward, yet extremely lucrative, opponent.
Next Saturday night, 12 November, Alvarez will defend his UFC belt for the first time in the main event at UFC 205 in New York, with McGregor in the opposing corner. Speaking on a media conference call this evening ahead of the fight, the defending champion reiterated his belief that McGregor is an “easier” opponent than what he’s used to.
“When I went into the UFC, 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 as a foreign champion from a foreign promotion. It felt like they put me against murderers’ row and I survived. I won the world title,” said 32-year-old Alvarez (28-4), who made his professional MMA debut in 2003.
I wasn’t kidding to the media when I thought that this style match-up was a good style match-up for me. I thought it would be a lot easier a fight than what they’ve been feeding me.
“So I was willing to do that and, on top of that, it happens to be financially the best decision. I was killing two birds with one stone. I was getting an easier fight scheduled, as well as making more money, so it was a no-brainer for me on my end.”
However, a fired-up McGregor — who left Dublin for the Big Apple yesterday — hit back and warned Alvarez that he’ll regret those comments when they collide at Madison Square Garden in nine days’ time at the climax of what will be the UFC’s first ever event in New York City.
“He’s claiming it’s an easier contest,” said McGregor (20-3). “I look forward to when the eyes shift, when the eyes roll and the electric shock darts through his whole body and he goes to his knees. Then he comes up and he’s in survival mode and that panic sets through his whole body and his whole face. That’s something I’m looking forward to.
“I will go out there and I will punish him for that, for those words that he’s saying. I’m going to retire him on this night. He’s been through a hell of a lot of wars. He’s been dropped continuously. I can see it in him.
“You can see the effects of war on his face, and respect to him, he’s a fighter, nothing but respect, but this will be it for you. You’re going to be badly, badly hurt, Eddie, and I mean that. It’s over for you.
You will not fight again after this. You will not look the same. You will not think the same. That’s it.”
Things turned nastier later on as McGregor described what effects he believes next weekend’s bout will have on Alvarez: “I’m going to toy with this man and I’m going to really, truly rearrange his facial structure. His wife and kids won’t ever recognise him again. His friends and the people that he knows will know that he’s not the same man after this contest.”
McGregor is aiming to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two UFC belts at the same time by overcoming Alvarez. Having gone through five gruelling rounds to exact revenge against Nate Diaz in their welterweight rematch in August, McGregor is predicting a swift night’s work for his first lightweight outing since 2012.
“I know he’s durable [but] I don’t believe he’s been hit by anybody like me,” McGregor said. “I don’t believe he will survive. If he does survive and be in that survival mode, then I’m going to toy with him. Then I’m going to rearrange his face for his words that he’s speaking right now. But I still can’t see him lasting one round.”
