While the free agent market in mixed martial arts (MMA) has cooled down some over the course of this year, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez could soon be testing the waters.
That’s because Alvarez’s upcoming rematch against Dustin Poirier -- which is set to headline UFC on FOX 30 this Saturday (July 28, 2018) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada — is the final fight on his current contract with UFC. As for why he decided to roll the dice and risk some leverage against a tough opponent, “The Underground King” says it’s simple: UFC’s offer wasn’t good enough.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why not to — that’s why,” Alvarez said on a recent edition of The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting). “I haven’t been given any reason why not to. I guess that’s the best I can say. If I was given enough where I thought, ‘Hey, it’s not worth the risk,’ I’d say, ‘OK, I’m not gonna roll the dice here, this is very good, this is what I feel I’m worth and I’m just gonna keep going and going.’ But I haven’t really been given a good enough offer to not take the risk that I’m willing to take.”
Alvarez joined UFC back in 2014 after an ugly split with Bellator MMA — which was then being spearheaded by Bjorn Rebney. Since jumping ship, he’s amassed an impressive 4-2-1 record inside the Octagon, winning the 155-pound strap along the way.
Still, Alvarez is confident he and the promotion could get a deal done at any moment.
“I think we’d get a deal done for sure,” Alvarez said. “We’re just not there yet. I know with the UFC, you never know when you strike a deal. But I’m patient. I’ve learned to be patient, because in the past I’ve gotten ahead of myself and maybe left a lot of money on the table,” he added.
“I don’t know. I think what’s fair is fair and every fighter, it’s a very individual thing, how much each fighter deserves and should get paid. I think I bring a lot of value and when I fight I make this company a lot of money and I make a lot of fans excited. I want to be shared with a little bit more than what I’m being shared with. That’s all.”
Eddie did say he and the promotion aren’t too far apart in numbers, but is adamant he wants to get paid what he feels he deserves after putting in plenty of work and entertaining fans for the last few years.
A win over Poirier would go a long way in forcing UFC to raise the number to Eddie’s standards in order to get a deal done, while a loss to “The Diamond” could be detrimental to Alvarez’s financial goals.
For more on the upcoming UFC on FOX 30: “Alvarez vs Poirier 2” event click here.
Get the latest gear
