Former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez faces Dustin Poirier in a rematch this July, which serves as the main event of UFC On Fox 30.
The Philadelphia native is competing in his final bout under the current contract with the UFC, which the fighter knows is a huge risk.
“I’m betting on myself,” Alvarez said on The MMA Hour. “There wasn’t a new contract signed, and whoever — whether it’s his camp, or whoever’s camp out there that is kinda putting that out there, that’s bullcrap. I’m not this new guy coming in who signed this new, giant, great deal. That’s not what happened. I sat down with Dana (White) and the UFC, and we’re still very cordial, we’re still talking. There was no deal signed, but there’s a point in every fighter’s career where sometimes you roll the dice on yourself. Sometimes you believe in yourself and you roll the dice. I like to put myself in a very emotional state, and I think by rolling the dice on myself, putting my back against the wall — in the past I’ve done really well there, so I’m kinda putting my own back against the wall and I’m rolling the dice and I’m betting on me.”
Alvarez has had a successful run in the UFC, holding a 4-2-0-1NC record in the promotion, which includes the victory over Rafael Dos Anjos to win the UFC Lightweight Title at UFC Fight Night 90.
Even though the fighter hasn’t signed a new deal with the UFC yet, one thing Alvarez wants fans to know is that he and the UFC are on good terms.
“Everything is really good between all of us, all parties,” Alvarez said. “We just haven’t come to an agreement. Every deal is different, and every deal takes more time than the next, so I have a feeling we’ll get something done. Right now it’s not, so rather than elongate the process, say ‘I’m not going to fight’ and stomp my foot down and be a baby, I said let’s fight. Let’s just fight. Let’s fight. And then we’ll figure it out along the way. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But I think we’re all talking and everything is going well. So I’m happy with the way things are going, but I think it’s more important — fans are yelling and screaming about this fight, everybody wants it, and I think it’s more important that we put this fight on for the fans.”
UFC On Fox 30 takes place on Saturday, July 28 from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox.
