McGregor-Alvarez title fight nearly finalized
According to @TalkMMA, the UFC is close to finalizing a McGregor-Alvarez fight for the 155-pound title at UFC 205 event in New York in November. The main issue in negotiations does not surround money, but McGregor’s desire to hold on to his UFC featherweight title.
Letting go of the belt. Conor wants to be the first to hold 2 belts simultaneously https://t.co/8xbhmwh1Qy
— #Dizz (@TalkMMA) September 15, 2016
UFC wants McGregor-Alvarez for 205
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani says McGregor versus Alvarez, for the lightweight belt, is the “top choice” of UFC management.
Main event for UFC 205 still not set. One big domino needs to fall and then they can move along, but it hasn't just yet. Interesting times.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2016
I would classify that as the top "choice" but very far from a done deal. Lots of moving parts at the moment. https://t.co/UZxePQDjIM
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2016
Report: Turns down movie offer for Alvarez MSG fight
According to TalkMMA, McGregor is in negotiations to fight Alvarez at Madison Square Garden in November at UFC 205. TalkMMA says the main issue is that McGregor does not want to give up his title. He also reports that McGregor has already given up a movie role to commit to the fight.
Per my source: The biggest negotiation point for McGregor/Alvarez is McGregor wanting to hold onto his FW title. Defend it early next year.
— #Dizz (@TalkMMA) September 7, 2016
Also, to my understanding McGregor turned down a movie role to fight Alvarez at MSG
— #Dizz (@TalkMMA) September 7, 2016
McGregor is ‘a lie’
Alvarez says that he believes that McGregor would represent a break in the quality of his opponents.
In a sparring room, there is always a guy that we call ‘the rest round. [McGregor] is the rest round. He is the guy you grab when you are super tired and you say ‘Come on man, lets do a round’. To me, to the level of guys that I compete with, to the the level of guys that I’ve fought in my life, and the level of guys I train with every day. He comes to our gym and trains – he is the rest round. For everyone, not just me. For Frankie[Edgar], for Edson[Barboza], for Marlon[Moraes], for any one of us…I was impressed by the first seven minutes. Then it all looked really sloppy and didn’t look of championship calibre. It didn’t look like a guy who spent $300,000 on a training camp. I could have done that shit for like $5.
Past the eight minute mark, I don’t see anything but than being dominant. He can do well because it’s easy to be technical in the first round or two, but when the shit hits the fan and it turns into a fight – I will f-cking dominate this guy every step of the way. When he is a little bit tired and he has to dig down – it’s over. It’s all over…There is no Santa Clause – he don’t exist. It was a lie and I’m going to steal the magic from everyone. The magic is going to be gone. And I can’t wait. It’s going to be a great time for me.
Bisping: Alvarez would kill McGregor
Bisping says that McGregor cannot beat Alvarez at 155 pounds, disagreeing with John Kavanagh, who has said McGregor would beat Alvarez inside two rounds.
I think looking at that last fight, he does not want to fight Eddie Alvarez at 155. I think Alvarez kills him man. He’ll just take him down and destroy him. I’m not saying that to be mean, I just think stylistically…I like Conor. Conor is incredible, he’s done amazing things for this sport. He’s brought so many eyes on to it, he’s making so much money and he’s exciting as hell. He brings excitement.
Kavanagh: McGregor should fight Alvarez next
Kavanagh says he would like to see McGregor challenge Alvarez for the lightweight title.
1 – dont know whats next. decision made over the next 2 weeks i'd imagine. personally i'd like 55 title….but we'll see what happens.
— Coach JK (@John_Kavanagh) August 24, 2016
2 – leg is fine. in theory could be ready for NY BUT nothing definite, see tweet no.1
— Coach JK (@John_Kavanagh) August 24, 2016
Alvarez taunts McGregor, Diaz
Alvarez taunts McGregor and Diaz on Twitter.
Better keep that weak shit away from the lightweight division , You both got work to do @TheNotoriousMMA @NateDiaz209 #ufc #thnq #comeCMe
— Eddie Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) August 21, 2016
Slaps McGregor’s photo
During a panel discussion Alvarez talks about wanting to fight McGRegor or Diaz in November. When taunted by the host holding a McGregor mask:
It’s hard to be intimidated by a guy who gets his suits at Build-a Bear…Hey, anywhere, Ireland, wherever he’d want to do it…He may not even win. My thought is he’s not going to win. [Me and Nate Diaz] almost got into a fight outside of the cage. I was fighting his teammate and he didn’t like it. I wouldn’t mind settling that score. Either one of those guys.
When the host asks,”Do you feel nothing towards this face?” Alvarez slaps the mask away.
Get this guy out of my face! He’s just a blank face to me.
Alvarez targeting McGregor or Diaz
Alvarez says he targeting either Diaz or McGregor for his next opponent at lightweight.
I’ve got my eye on Nate Diaz-Conor (McGregor). I would love to the fight the winner of that whole crew…I keep getting asked by all the media — you fight all the best guys in the world and at the end of the day the media asks ‘what about Conor McGregor?’ so I’m sick of being asked about his name.Him or Nate. I have some history with Nate, too. Either one of them.
Alvarez: I’ll fight McGregor at Welterweight
At a press conference for UFC 201, Alvarez challenges McGregor,
I started my career at 170. Actually, I wouldn’t have to make the cut, so I’d actually appreciate that if he made it at 170. I don’t like going to 155; I do it because everyone else does. It just means we’ll have a better training camp, more power, and it will be a little more enjoyable. 100 percent, I’d fight McGregor at welterweight…What I’m seeing is not the right style matchups. He’s fighting the perfect style matchups. He’s not fighting the guys that will threaten him the way I can, the way a lot of these wrestlers can. If you look at his fights, he hasn’t been in a lot of bad positions, and there’s a reason for that. I’m not the style matchup that’s in his favor. I can put him in bad places, and I don’t think he’ll be able to adapt or overcome.
Alvarez: UFC 202 a ‘bullshit freakshow’
In an interview with MMA Hour, Alvarez says the Diaz-McGregor UFC 202 fight is a ‘freakshow’.
I’ll be there with a bull horn ringside to that freakshow. The least-best lightweights in the division and they are the highest paid. It’s bullshit. These guys are making the highest dollars, they are both considered lightweights, I guess. They are making the highest dollars of all of us and you have guys like Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, myself, like real top-level guys who are just kind of getting by. These two guys need to get taken out and taken out viciously so we can get some of that money.
Alvarez wants ‘gimme’ fight with McGregor
Alvarez says he would like to fight McGregor in the future.
I would ask [UFC president] Dana White, ‘Please give me an easier fight, like Conor McGregor. I deserve that. I’ve been fighting the best guys, so I would like a gimme fight. So, Conor, I’d more than welcome that…Look, there’s a lot of guys in the UFC who are good at one thing, and they get matched up stylistically well. They make their way to the top without ever going against the true best guys in the division. They sneak their way around them, and they live off perception, not what really is. [McGregor] is one of them. I think he can get found out. If he was ever to fight Rafael Dos Anjos or to fight myself, he’d get found out very quickly.