Eddie Alvarez is “rolling the dice” on himself.
Alvarez is set to do battle with Dustin Poirier a second time. The two competed back in May 2017 at UFC 211. The bout ended in a No Contest after Alvarez landed illegal knee strikes to the head of a downed opponent.
Alvarez vs. Poirier II takes place inside the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 28. The lightweight tilt will headline UFC Calgary. The main card will air live on FOX.
Before a deal was made for the rematch, “The Underground King” said he wasn’t going to fight until he received a contract that satisfied his needs. UFC president Dana White flew to Philadelphia to meet with Alvarez. The former UFC lightweight champion decided not to sign and would rather prove his worth against “The Diamond.”
During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Alvarez explained why he’s taking the risk:
“I’m betting on myself. There wasn’t a new contract signed, and whoever — whether it’s his camp, or whoever’s camp out there that is kinda putting that out there, that’s bullcrap. I’m not this new guy coming in who signed this new, giant, great deal. That’s not what happened. I sat down with Dana (White) and the UFC, and we’re still very cordial, we’re still talking. There was no deal signed, but there’s a point in every fighter’s career where sometimes you roll the dice on yourself. Sometimes you believe in yourself and you roll the dice. I like to put myself in a very emotional state, and I think by rolling the dice on myself, putting my back against the wall — in the past I’ve done really well there, so I’m kinda putting my own back against the wall and I’m rolling the dice and I’m betting on me.”
Do you believe Eddie Alvarez’s gamble will pay off?
