Issue 147
November 2016
Eddie Alvarez is determined to cash in on one of the greatest ever 155lb careers
Dialogue: Eddie Alvarez, UFC Lightweight champion
Age: 32
team: Ricardo
Almeida BJJ
Record: 28-4
Eddie Alvarez quit Bellator because he could only become the number one 155lb fighter in the world by winning the UFC championship. Now his mission is accomplished, the Philadelphia favorite is determined to start ringing the register. While the rest of the lightweights jostle for position, he’s got his eyes set on much grander pay-per-view targets.
Question: How proud are you to be the first fighter to capture Bellator and UFC gold?
Answer: A It’s all part of the big journey I am on. The belts collected along the way are just a by-product of a lot of hard work, dedication and years of perfecting this craft. Whatever we collect along the way is a testament to how hard we work. It’s cool to say we made history and finally captured the UFC lightweight title, something I have been eyeing for years now.
Q: What about being the first Philadelphian to win a UFC belt?
A: That is the most important part of any achievement for me. I feel like I’ve been an MMA pioneer in Philadelphia. I am trying to bring more awareness to the sport in Philadelphia. The only way to do that is to get the UFC to host more events there. To get their eyes on the city we need to have a champion here. Now we do.
Q: What would it mean to defend the UFC belt in your hometown?
A: I can’t even put that into words, man. I would be through the roof walking out of the tunnel in the Wells Fargo Center in front of all my friends and family and all the fans of Philadelphia. It would be surreal. It’s something I look forward to. I would like to sit down with the UFC and talk about that. I might have forced their hand by winning this title. I want to be able to give my fans something special.
Q: You were the underdog in each of your UFC fights. Do you thrive in that role?
A: It’s a much more exciting. When you are expected to do something there’s a lot of pressure. The much easier role is the underdog. I have fun in the role. You get to surprise people and you get to tell them, ‘I told you so’, which is my favorite thing to say.
Q: Where does your aggression – that you used to beat Rafael dos Anjos – come from?
A: I’m the type of guy that if you fight me violently I fight violently back. I don’t back down. That’s just my style and mentality in there. When we are inside the Octagon on the night of the fight it’s all about me. I’m the boss. I’m the guy who is going to take everything. You have to be a pirate in there, man. You can’t have feelings. You can’t have thoughts. You can’t have emotions.
Q: Who do you think should be given the first shot at your championship?
A: There are some big fights out there at 155lb, but the Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz rematch was the money fight. The winner of that (McGregor) challenging for my lightweight title would make the most sense, financially.
Q: Were you being serious when you said McGregor’s fighting ability is “s**t”?
A: Oh, I was being serious. The fans seem to think because this man’s popular that he’s good. He’s not. He’s a manufactured champion. It’s all about perception. You give the right guy the right opponents on the right night and he’s going to look great. But then once he runs into someone decent he’s exposed. I get fans asking me if I could beat Conor McGregor almost every day and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, you guys are disillusioned.’
Q: What about Nate Diaz? Is that a fight that still appeals to you in the future?
A: Well, we’ve got a bit of history already. Me and him nearly got into a fight in Mexico, outside of the cage. I was fighting his teammate – Gilbert Melendez – and he didn’t like that so I confronted him about it. And he didn’t like the way I stepped up to him, so I guess we have a score to settle. I’ve got nothing against him personally – he’s a fighter I respect – but there’s history there.
Perfect partner
Q: Is it true your wife once backed you up in a fight?
A: I actually got jumped. I got hit by someone from the side and my girlfriend (now wife) of all the people there, jumped in and helped me out. I knew right then that she was the one I wanted to marry. My wife is not a fighter, but she is passionate about the people she loves and she loves hard. I just knew the type of person she was from that moment. I knew she was loyal and I knew she had character, but that fight was an eye-opening moment for me.
Play ball
Q: How happy were you to throw the first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies?
A: It was as cool as hell. I got to warm-up with them and do some battling practice. I hit with the heavy hitters like Ryan Howard. I think they were happy with the way I performed. They made me a jersey with my name on it, so I can put that in my man cave.
Q: Are any players fans?
A: Ryan Howard is a fan. He seemed to know a good bit about (MMA). He asked some questions and I invited them to come to the fight in Las Vegas, but they had a game in Colorado. When I get back home I’ll reach out to them again and get something done.
