Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez had nothing but praises for both Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler for how they performed at UFC 257. “The Underground King” shares a history with the two fighters, both of whom he’d competed twice against.
Alvarez was impressed with the gameplan that Poirier used against Conor McGregor, knowing what it’s like to have fought the Irishman.
“Dustin Poirier putting on them sprints that he puts on, I thought that would be the best way that he could get it done,” Alvarez told MMA Junkie. “I agreed that if he gave Conor the space that Conor can relax and create stuff that he’d have a bad night.
“But Dustin just fought a beautiful game plan by kicking that leg and then putting a short sprint on him and being able to cause him to panic and put him away.”
As for Chandler, Alvarez was happy for his former rival for proving the critics wrong.
“And then Mike Chandler coming out and, in your debut, with all that pressure, with all them people saying, ‘You’re not this and you’re not that,’” he said. To be able to go out there and execute the way he did, it was just a beautiful night for MMA.
“I think a lot of times in this sport, they don’t care if you’re the bad guy or good guy. The fight gods give the winner to whoever the winner is, and the good guys conquered that night. It doesn’t always go that way, but it’s beautiful when it does.”
Alvarez, who signed with ONE Championship in 2018, is scheduled to fight Iuri Lapicus next. The two will be part of the organization’s Singapore event on April 7.
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