Earlier this month we saw great fights happened at lightweight division, Dagestani grappler Khabib Nurmagomedov crowed undisputed Lightweight title with a unanimous decision win over late replacement Al Iaquinta. Then by April 14, Dustin Poirier earns fourth-round TKO win over former WSOF champion Justin Gatheje. Last night April 21, we saw Kevin Lee scored a fifth-round TKO over Edson Barboza.
Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez attended Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 128 event in Atlantic City, NJ, hasn’t competed since scoring a third-round knockout win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 218 back in December, claiming that he’s the only person in the division that can beat Kahbib.
“A lot of guys hurt, a lot of guys out, in prison, praying, injured, I don’t know what’s going on,” Alvarez told MMA Junkie backstage after UFC Fight Night: Atlantic City.
“I know, 100 percent, matchup-wise, wrestling, stylistically, I watch the champion fight a lot. I am the guy to beat the champion. Not Dustin Poirier. Not Conor McGregor. Not anyone. I understand who I lost to, who I won (against). I’m the best style matchup. The champion don’t want to fight me right now. He knows. He’s going to pick off the wounded gazelles one by one. He’s going to take the good style matchups. I understand. Take them. I’ll be waiting in the end.”
Alvarez isn’t impressed with Nurmagomedov’s journey to the UFC gold and doesn’t think highly of Khabib as a champ. Many criticize Nurmagomedov’s last performance at UFC 223, Alvarez is one of them says Dagestani failed to impress.
“What’s funny about this whole thing is, Khabib wasn’t a champion,” he said. “Now he’s the champion after beating no. 11. Let’s just get that out in the open. He says, ‘paper champion, who’s fake champion, who’s real champion?’ You beat no. 11, and now you’re champion. So think on that. Pray on that during Ramadan. No. 11, and now you’re champion.
“When I fought for the title, I literally fought no. 5, 4, 3, 2, then 1,” Alvarez continued. “I fought a champion, a guy who was a champion, who had a belt. That’s a real champion.”
Alvarez knows that he can’t control who the UFC officials decide will be the next title challenger. And knowing that, former champ isn’t too worried if he’s not next in line.
Who would you like to see the Eddie Alvarez fight in his next Octagon outing?
