Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is all set to take on Iuri Lapicus (14-1) at ONE on TNT 1 this Thursday.
Iuri Lapicus will be looking forward to making a statement against the former UFC standout. This is also an important fight for Eddie Alvarez, as a win over Lapicus could catapult him towards a ONE Championship title shot.
“A statement with a big win will do it [Get him a title shot], (but) I’m not the promoter,” Eddie Alvarez said. “For me, it’s about going in there and always making a big statement. I’m not here just to win. Wins are for me; being spectacular is for the fans. I step in the cage and the idea always is to be spectacular. Winning is usually just a byproduct of that.”
Eddie Alvarez: The best lightweight in history?
If Eddie Alvarez does fight for the ONE Lightweight title and manages to capture it, he will become the first MMA fighter to hold a championship belt in three different major organisation.
“For me, personally, I’d be the greatest lightweight to ever grace the sport of MMA. That’s how I feel about it,” Eddie Alvarez said during a recent virtual media day for ONE on TNT I in Singapore. “It’s easy to be great for five years or 10 years and have that energy to be able to do that, just take on the sport. … But this is almost two decades, traveling all parts of the world, fighting champion after champion after champion from all over – not staying in one place and taking on all challengers.
“At the end of the day, my resume will speak for itself – and anyone who wants to debate it, just check the scoreboard.”
The underground king last fought against Eduard Folayang at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes back in August 2019. Since then he hasn’t been able to fight, partly because of the pandemic. However, Eddie Alvarez feels that the time away from the octagon and worked to his advantage.
“I don’t have a limited window,” he said. “This is almost my second decade in this sport, and I love what I do. It hasn’t been frustrating (being off). I got a chance to heal, and I’ve been fighting two decades. A little bit of time off never hurts anybody. It wasn’t just my problem; it was the world’s problem. … In my eyes, I got a chance to see my family, see my kids, and work that part of my life. I’m a father and a husband first who just happens to fight. I got a chance to be a better father and a better husband.” (H/T – MMAJunkie.com)
Mighty Mouses’ title fight against Adriano Moraes will stream live on Hotstar or Star Sports Select 2 at 6 a.m. India Standard Time (IST) on Thursday, 8 April.
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