Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was trying to book a rematch between top lightweight contenders Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, since the division is (still) in a holding pattern until later this year.
Their first go-round ended in controversy, thanks to a couple of illegal knees and one “no contest.” But it might be a little early to buy those Calgary tickets in hopes of watching this grudge match come to fruition.
“It’s not fucking happening,” Alvarez told MMA Fighting. “I’m not fighting until I get a new deal. UFC needs to stop playing games. They know what I mean.”
Alvarez (29-5, 1 NC) has one fight left on his current deal and hasn’t competed since his third-round knockout win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 217 last December. Poirier (23-5, 1 NC), meanwhile, is also coming off a late finish over “The Highlight,” his second straight since battling “The Underground King.”
Let’s hope whatever “game” UFC is playing ends sooner, rather than later.