Eddie Alvarez is tired of “just winning”, plans to finish Dustin Poirier at UFC 211

Eddie Alvarez is tired of “just winning”, plans to finish Dustin Poirier at UFC 211

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez will return to the octagon at next month’s stacked UFC 211 pay-per-view event in Dallas, Texas where he will square off with Dustin Poirier.

Alvarez recently took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor where he discussed his upcoming scrap with “The Diamond”.

“It is going well man.” Eddie said of his UFC 211 training camp. “I have had a lot of good sparring rounds. I think just getting back to sparring again and doing 100 to 150 sparring rounds has been good. That is what got me to the title. That is what kept me sharp and just getting back to that has got me improving very quickly. It usually does the trick.”

Taylor asked Eddie if he has any particular strategy going in to his UFC 211 fight with Dustin Poirier.

“I think Dustin is skilled. He is well rounded and good pretty much everywhere. He is good at each particular art. I don’t think he is great at any one thing. I think he mixes it up well. But I just think I am a better fighter all together. I have faced better and tougher competition. Not only over the past couple of years but over my entire career. I think just competing with the guys I drill with on a daily basis and the guys that I’ve fought against in the past couple of years that I will just be the better fighter when we go out there.”

Taylor asked Alvarez where he believes a win over Poirier will put him in regards to the UFC lightweight title picture.

“My intention is not just to go out there and win. If I just win I will be disappointed. If go out there and earn a decision I will disappointed. I need to do it in a fashion that I have been training for. I have been sparring and competing at a certain level of intensity so that I can go out there and not only dominate but finish my opponent. You know, I think that when I came in to the UFC I was so fixated on just winning that it ended up being all I was doing. I was just winning. I wasn’t fighting like myself. I wasn’t taking the proper risks that I should be taking. It was really kind of holding me back. So now, against Dustin, I definitely won’t be happy if I just win. I need to get this done in a way that sends a statement. So that is exactly what I am planning for.”

Since joining the UFC ranks, all five opponents that Alvarez has faced have either been champions or former title challengers. Eddie’s fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 211 will put an end to that streak. Taylor asked Eddie how he felt Poirier matched up to his previous UFC opponents.

“I think Dustin Poirier fancies himself a champion. He just doesn’t have a belt. He thinks he can become champion someday so that will have to do.”

Alvarez was last seen in action at November’s UFC 205 event in New York where he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Conor McGregor, surrendering his lightweight championship in the process.

Prior to the setback, Alvarez had strung together three-straight victories including a first-round starching of Rafael dos Anjos to claim the UFC’s lightweight title.

Who do you think will emerge victorious when Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier throw down at UFC 211 in Dallas? Sound off PENN Nation!

April 29/2017