UFC 205 Media Conference Call
Alvarez and McGregor a appear live on a conference call to talk about UFC 205. Alvarez:
I hate when people say you’re defending your title. I don’t defend shit. My job is to finish the opponent. I’m not defending anything…I’ve fought better opponents, but this card is going to break every single record in UFC history…The guys he’s faced aren’t close to the caliber that I am. He will realize he’s been fighting good style match-ups and he’s f-cked.
McGregor:
I’m going to toy with this man. I’m going to really, truly rearrange his facial structure. His wife and kids won’t recognize him again…I know he’s durable, but I don’t believe he’s been hit like anybody by me. I still can’t see him lasting longer than a round.
‘I’m going to shut McGregor’s mouth’
Alvarez says it will be an honour to defeat McGregor.
As far as shutting his (McGregor) mouth and giving him some humility, it will be an honour. I think he did a good job getting this fight, selling the fight and promoting it. This will break every record in UFC history bar attendance…A lot of people will show up to cheer for him but a lot of people are also going to show up and enjoy watching him be defeated…I wouldn’t [rate McGregor] very highly in the grand scheme of things. Throughout my long career I’ve fought the best in the world and I don’t think he (McGregor) has. I feel like he still has proving to do if he wants to call himself one of the best. He is going to have to get through a guy like me to even be able to scratch at that. I think the fight will end inside of two rounds. Around the nine minute mark I should be able to overcome him. We will put him in some bad situations early and start getting him to doubt himself and when that happens it’s the beginning of the end.
‘I’m ready to make history’
In an interview with The Mac Life, McGregor says he is ready to ‘make history’:
The last camp was very, very different. This camp has been different as well. It’s, what, only 10 days to the fight? It’s very unusual for me to be home this close to a fight, so I’m actually enjoying it. Training’s been great. I’m very prepared, very calm. Ready to go and make history…We all went through a learning process after the first Diaz fight. In the second one we came together like a unit…Everything is a lot more scientific [now]… I’d be told what heart rate I’d have to be at for different sessions. There was many times I wanted to go more. I was like, ‘I don’t feel like I’m doing much’ but no, we had to build it up and up and up.
On Alvarez:
[The second Diaz fight] was phase one of cardio training, this is phase two. That, coupled with the weight coming down, my body mass… I’m much leaner. I’m very confident that I will put this man away. Eddie seems to think he has a cardio advantage. Let’s go into the later rounds, I’m going to sprint in round 5. I’m very, very happy.
Beautiful Lie fan video
In the run up to UFC 205 The Mac Life promotes a fan film of McGregor and Alvarez.
Predicts win in nine minutes
Alvarez predicts a win over McGregor in under nine minutes.
I think we do it under the nine-minute mark. Big, big heavy shots, he goes down and then submission. I can see it ending much like the (Nate) Diaz fight where I land the heavy shot and then I finish with a submission. From what I’ve seen in the past and what he’s done in the past, (his heart) is very questionable and I’m not the only one who’s questioned it…I think he has quit in him and I think it takes a tad of adversity and him to get into a little bit of a fight to pull it out of him. On November 12, I’m going to pull it out of him and I’m going to show it to millions of people and the crowd. Everybody’s going to see it. We’re going to reveal the quit.
UFC 205 Extended Preview
McGregor and Alvarez appear in the extended preview for UFC 205. McGregor:
No-one has had the deuce in the UFC, I’m gonna go and get them two belts and take out two divisions. If anyone can do it it’s me. no-one else can do it.
Alvarez:
This game is not a game about who says more, it’s about who does more…Conor’s full of shit. Most of the things he says are full of shit. He’s never put himself in harm’s way, and I think just now he has.
Cejudo: ‘McGregor is the best fighter in the world’
Cejudo says McGregor will beat Alvarez.
I like Eddie Alvarez a lot but if he stays on his feet with Conor, I think Conor is going to get him. Conor is a gamer, dude. I will never cross that dude out. I just won’t. His mindset is second to none. He’s special because of his mind and his belief in his ability. I don’t think there had been another athlete like Conor, where he is that confident. Maybe Ali, that’s one of the only [other] one that I can think of, where he’s able to count the round and [land] one-punch knockouts. He’s special, man. For Conor to be able to take the fight to five rounds [against Nate Diaz]… I give my respect to him. I may disagree with the way he flaunts himself and flaunts money and things like that but he’s an entertainer. He’s the best fighter in the world and he’s the best entertainer in the world as well. The more experienced guy is probably Alvarez but I’ve got Conor, man. I like Eddie a lot. He seems like a really good dude and a good fighter – I’ve watched a lot of his fights – but I’ve got a feeling he may get prideful. I hope he doesn’t.
Alvarez training with Bilharinho
Coach Henry tweets an image of Alvarez and Bilharinho, who is well known for having a fighting style similar to McGregor’s.
Awesome work with champ
It’s unclear at this time whether Bilharinho has been a regular part of Alvarez’s preparations for this fight or not. His participation may even have been limited to a single session.
AWESOME workout wit Champ @Ealvarezfight & @JonasSpeed!! @andersonfranca. TEAM @RenzoGracieBJJ @Almeidabjj LETS GO! pic.twitter.com/nI2BJUf4dU
— Mark Henry (@MarkCoachmark13) October 24, 2016
UFC 205 Promo ‘I’M A GOD’
0 0 Mark Devlin Mark Devlin2016-10-25 13:31:512016-10-25 13:31:51UFC 205 Promo ‘I’M A GOD’
Talks McGregor strategy
Alvarez says he made the McGregor fight happen.
I’m the one who made the Conor McGregor fight happen. He never had any intention of fighting me. Every time I said his name I didn’t get any response, I didn’t get anything. This is a guy who responds and talks shit to everyone, but every time I talked to the media and tried to drum up a fight or anything like that there’d be no response. So it was obvious that he really didn’t want this fight. It was only when I won the belt that they decided to get a crack at the belt. When I joined the UFC I fought the best guys in the division back-to-back-to-back, that was my strategy. I told the media I was tired of getting asked about Conor McGregor, so I told them I could use an easier fight and that’s why it happened.
And says he can handle the Irishman’s technique:
To me, he’s just a left hand. He’s just a guy with a left hand. That’s how I see him. He does something that we call a ‘rock back’ well. Mayweather does it. A lot of Philly fighters do it. He (McGregor) lives and breathes off it. A lot of MMA guys don’t know about these boxing things that they do. This is a move that’s very easily taken away and we’re going to dominate every step of the way. Without giving away a gameplan or anything, everything’s taken away with the proper preparation.
Ridicules McGregor bike training
In response to the picture of McGregor training on a bike…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL2AgPABkFV/
Alvarez tweets:
improving Cardio Wtf !! haha Are we doing the Tour de France or We fist fighting ? #itsallOver #guysridingbikes No "History just "My"story
— Eddie Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) October 21, 2016
Says McGregor’s ‘spirit’ is missing
Alvarez says McGregor is missing ‘spirit’.
Stylistically it’s my fight to win. I won’t say it’s easy, especially against a guy who has the crowd like that on his side, but I’m going to get this job done and I’m going to get it done violently and quickly. Technically, I think Conor’s a good fighter,” Alvarez admitted. “He probably does a lot of drills so technically he’s sound, but for me, fighting after a certain point, technique doesn’t matter in a championship fight. It comes down to will, it comes down to spirit and your willingness to win the fight. I think that’s the main ingredient to what makes a champion and I think that’s what he’s missing…I honestly feel that’s what he’s missing. He’s very technical, he’s a clean good fighter for a round, round and a half, but when you get deeper into a fight we’ve all seen him in moments of adversity and it doesn’t look good to me–it doesn’t look like championship caliber.
Welcome To New York promo
0 0 Mark Devlin Mark Devlin2016-10-19 18:04:192016-10-19 18:04:19Welcome To New York promo‘It’s my fight to win’
Alvarez talks about McGregor’s weaknesses.
It’s my fight to win. I won’t say it’s easy, especially against a guy who has the crowd like that on his side, but I’m going to get this job done and I’m going to get it done violently and quickly. Technically, I think Conor’s a good fighter. He probably does a lot of drills so technically he’s sound, but for me, fighting after a certain point, technique doesn’t matter in a championship fight. It comes down to will, it comes down to spirit and your willingness to win the fight. I think that’s the main ingredient to what makes a champion and I think that’s what he’s missing…He’s very technical, he’s a clean good fighter for a round, round and a half, but when you get deeper into a fight we’ve all seen him in moments of adversity and it doesn’t look good to me – it doesn’t look like championship calibre. It doesn’t look like someone who’s willing to take a beating and get on that stool and come back out and give it back to the guy.
Alvarez will be ‘unconscious’
McGregor comments on his upcoming fight with Alvarez.
I don’t think he poses any threat, I don’t believe that. He’s tough, he’s a tough kid…He’s got some good fights under his belt and good experience. So I’m expecting him to come in and fight with his heart. But I don’t see it going well for him. I feel he will be unconscious.
https://twitter.com/GrabakaHitman/status/787027975099314180
Claims he will fight Alvarez for title after McGregor defeat
Johnson says that if he beats Nurmagomedov — despite the Russian being the favorite — on November the 12th at Madison Square Garden will out him in line for a shot at the 155 lbs crown, but only if McGregor loses to Alvarez.
I know I can’t make any mistakes against Khabib. I know I’m going to have to be damn near flawless to beat a guy of his stature. That’s what I’m going in there to do on November 12. He’s relentless with his takedowns. He lives and dies off them and he will just go for them. I think that’s one thing I’m going to have to face that I’ve never faced before in any of my opponents. His wrestling is like my striking–it’s what he lives and dies off of. He’s relentless in it and I’m relentless in my striking and we are going to have two of the best styles going up against each other. I think a win will put me in the number one contender spot…If Conor wins then I’m pretty sure Conor and Nate will fight for their trilogy for that title. That will be the fight to make if he wins. That said, I don’t think he is going to win so who knows where that puts me. Hopefully, it puts me in line for a title shot if Eddie gets the win.
‘People are f–king sleeping on Alvarez’
Rogan and Schaub say that Alvarez is being underrated. Rogan:
I think people are f-cking sleeping on Eddie Alvarez. I think he’s a dangerous, dangerous 155 lber. That motherf—er can punch. He punches hard, he’s fast as f–k and there’s not a human alive that’s more game than that kid. Conor is a God damn phenom. He’s got as Firas Zahabi likes to call it, ‘The touch of death,’ in his hands.”
Schaub:
It’s a scary fight man. Anyone who thinks it’s an easy fight or not a big fight for Conor, they just don’t know the sport. I’m talking about the underground king. I think at 55, and everyone knows I’m the biggest Conor nut-rider in the world, at 55, I just don’t see a ton of success there. I think Eddie Alvarez, If you look at the top five, it’s his easiest match-up and that’s a f-cking nightmare for him. Because Eddie can grapple his ass off, he’s been in so many big fights, he doesn’t get tired, he doesn’t mind winning by the decision either…Well think about it. How does Conor win this fight? He has to knock him out. He has five rounds to knock him out. You’re not winning a decision against Eddie. The grappling, the takedowns, the endurance, with the striking. As the rounds go on the knockout power goes down.
Danis: ‘McGregor is going to knock Alvarez out cold’
Danis. McGregor’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu trainer, talks about his relationship with McGregor.
I’m here for him. We help each other. I wouldn’t say I’m just helping him because he also helps me a lot. My mind – everything. We’re a good tag-team, I think. He’s my brother from Ireland. I have my brothers back home in New York and now I have my brothers here too. Coming in obviously I had watched Conor and I knew his mind-set and mine was similar so I figured we could click because we have a lot of the same ideas and the same thoughts. I really knew it would be a good connection, but it ended up being super-cool.
On their ‘there is no opponent’ strategy:
My coach always emphasises not worrying about the other person. I think sometimes when you worry about the other person, you forget to do your game. I’m always going forward and being aggressive. Fuck whatever they’re doing.
On Alvarez:
Conor is going to knock him out cold. As John Kavanagh would say, Conor could knock someone out in a phone booth so if Eddie tries to get close he’s going to get lit up. We’re ready for everything.
UFC 205 official trailer: Live Like Legends
McGregor and Alvarez appear in the UFC 205 official trailer, titled, Live Like Legends.
Alvarez: McGregor has ‘WWE fans’ who ‘don’t know shit about MMA’
Alvarez says he was taken aback when the crowd at the UFC 205 press conference greeted him with jeers.
I mean, given the reaction of that crowd, it kind of was weird, I definitely didn’t expect that. It just sort of reiterated to me what his fan base is. His fan base is him. They’re people who, it’s all perception. It seems like he has a lot of WWE fans, guys who don’t know much about fighting at all, they are just like him. You can have them fans, they’re not the fans I want anyway. You can boo all day long. I don’t want fans who don’t know shit about MMA. I’d rather have a fan who knows the sport, enjoys the sport, and can see value.