Eddie Alvarez: Anthony Pettis trying to save face by mentioning Nate Diaz

When ex-UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis recently said he’d like to rematch Rafael dos Anjos or, alternatively, take on Nate Diaz, Eddie Alvarez thought he saw a familiar head fake.

“It seemed to me like, ‘I just really want to save face,’” Alvarez told MMAjunkie Radio. “’I don’t want to take no risks; I don’t want to fight a guy who doesn’t match up well.’

“I’ve been there before. We’ve all done it. He’s just trying it. Hopefully, the UFC will let him do it.”

The thing Pettis (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) really wants, according to Alvarez (26-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), is a fight with Diaz – not dos Anjos (24-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC), who took his title in decisive fashion when they met in March.

At least for now, the ex-champ won’t get his wish. Diaz (17-10 MMA, 12-8 UFC) was recently booked to fight Michael Johnson (16-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC) at UFC on FOX 17. Plus, he’s recovering from an elbow injury and might not be ready to fight until the end of the year, so for now, he’s just talking.

That’s what Pettis has done a lot of with Diaz – the two have gone back and forth in the media for a long time.

Despite this, Pettis said he needs a rematch with dos Anjos “as a man” and will fight the Brazilian with or without a belt at stake. But Alvarez thinks that’s just a smokescreen.

By the way, Alvarez remains unbooked after a split call over two-time lightweight title challenger Gilbert Melendez in June at UFC 188. A win over Pettis would be a boon to his UFC career, which started with a setback when he lost a decision to current No. 1 contender Donald Cerrone.

Alvarez’s coach, Henri Hooft, recently gave up the ghost to AXS TV, saying Alvarez really wants to fight Pettis, but thinks he won’t accept.

One thing the fighters are both gunning for, however, is the title. Dos Anjos occupies the top spot, so the ultimate goal for everyone below him is to fight up the ladder. Whether or not Alvarez and Pettis take the same approach to getting there is another thing.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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