UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has said he’ll do whatever he wants to Conor McGregor when the two men meet at UFC 205.
The pair will battle it out in New York on November 12 in one of the year’s most anticipated bouts, with McGregor seeking to add Alvarez’s belt to the featherweight title he currently holds. However, the American feels as though he’ll have far too much for his opponent, who he feels is limited in his defensive work, per Talking Brawls (h/t Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting):
I'll do whatever the f--k I want in any aspect against him. The opponents he's fought allow him to look great. That's the issue. That's what these WWF fans who follow him don't see. They see a guy who's fighting or playing to his strengths so he can do what he wants and be good at it.
...If I want to stand, I'll stand. He don't move his head, he gets hit a ton. Chad Mendes has a tiny little reach and was popping him all over the place with overhand rights and left hooks before he took him down. His defense is atrocious.
Alvarez won the lightweight title with a shock victory over Rafael Dos Anjos earlier in the year. McGregor was scheduled to fight the Brazilian at UFC 196 for the belt, although Dos Anjos pulled out with a foot injury.
Nate Diaz stepped in and beat McGregor in a welterweight showdown, although the Notorious got his revenge with a majority decision win at UFC 202. Now, in his first fight at lightweight in the UFC, McGregor is out to make history by becoming the first man to hold two titles concurrently in the company.
As Bleacher Report UK noted, the boisterous Irishman is in typically confident mood ahead of this one, predicting a quick evening’s work:
It’s Conor McGregor’s town for #UFC205. ???? pic.twitter.com/P2dCEAt4sV
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) September 29, 2016
While Alvarez has been critical of McGregor’s defensive skills, he did at least credit the offensive talent his opponent possesses.
“His offense is good,” the lightweight champion conceded. “He's offensively a good fighter when it comes to boxing and things but his defense is f--king terrible. A guy like me, I can go wherever. I can kick, I can punch, I can takedown, I can submit, and I can do it all f--king night.”
McGregor certainly has flaws in his makeup that Alvarez can exploit, and, as the American noted, he’s capable of mixing up his attack if needed. It’s what he did well against Dos Anjos, showing that he can fight with an intensity to match the best.
Per MMA journalist Simon Head, the lightweight champion hasn’t seemed fazed by the circus that accompanies McGregor and the antics of the man himself:
Biggest takeaway from that presser: Eddie Alvarez isn’t fazed by Conor McGregor. Not one bit. This one’s going to be a cracker. #UFC205
— Simon Head?? (@simonhead) September 27, 2016
Although Alvarez has experience and diversity in his favour, McGregor has shown he’s capable of coming out of the traps quickly and blitzing opponents. The Irishman seeks to end his bouts fast and even at lightweight, the featherweight champion has enough power in his left hand to halt Alvarez if it lands.
If the American can make it past that initial flurry, it’s then when his range of talents and familiarity at the weight could work in his favour. But if Alvarez feels as though he'll have the freedom of the Octagon to win this one, he'll be in for a surprise.
