Former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and former World Series Of Fighting Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje are going to be coaches on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26.
Dustin Poirier, who fought Alvarez to a no contest at UFC 211, says the coaching selection felt to him like a slap to the face.
“I was shocked because I found like everyone else did, through social media,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “Nobody called me or let me know what was going on. I’ve had talks with my management and with the UFC. We were going to get the rematch, that’s what the game plan was. So it was really a slap in the face.”
The fight between Poirier and Alvarez at UFC 211 ended in a no contest after Alvarez nailed a downed Poirier with a trio of illegal knee strikes.
Poirier is under the assumption that Alvarez accepted the coaching role so they wouldn’t have to fight again.
“He probably doesn’t want the fight again. (UFC) offered him another fight and he jumped on it,” he said. “It’s a better business decision for him. He doesn’t have to fight me again. He can go and do a TV show and try to make some money. He’ll get another main event with some hype. He’ll make a lot of money, probably. I understand the business decision.”
Whichever contestant walks away the winner of the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26 will become the first ever UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion.
