Eddie Alvarez sees an easy victory ahead for him at UFC 205 against Conor McGregor, and the lightweight champion is as confident as he has ever been.
Alvarez did not seem a bit fazed during the press conference staredown when they first met face-to-face. Alvarez talked about that moment on the MMA Roasted podcast with Adam Hunter.
Alvarez remarked, “When I was on stage with him in New York, I never felt less threatened in my life against another man.”
Strong words from a confident champion.
Now, with preparation underway, the champion is looking at possible deficiencies he sees in his opponent. McGregor has taken the sport by storm and helped grow it to new heights, but Alvarez sees no issue with the matchup at hand.
Alvarez sees McGregor as just a left hand. He noted (h/t Jose Youngs of FanSided) that McGregor’s go-to move is called the “rock back,” and he can take it out of the southpaw’s arsenal. “This is a move that’s very easily taken away, and we’re going to dominate every step of the way,” said the UFC lightweight champion.
The champion’s insistence that he can nullify McGregor’s stand-up would seem to go against history. Alvarez’s aggressive and inviting style has rarely taken away his opponent’s striking weapons. Per FightMetric, Alvarez has absorbed 193 total strikes in his four UFC contests.
“I’m confident in my coaches, I’m confident in our game plan and our ability to go out there and do it,” said Alvarez. “We’re just following this game plan step-by-step.”
Easier said than done, but Alvarez has complete conviction in his game plan heading into the biggest event in UFC history. The trust is with Mark Henry and the rest of his team to prepare him for battle. If the reigning champion’s words are to be trusted, it looks like he is preparing for a systematic breakdown of McGregor.
Vegas doesn’t see it the same way.
Current odds, courtesy of Odds Shark, have McGregor as a slight favorite at -185 and Alvarez as a +150 underdog.
The lightweight title tilt will headline UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 12. That is the date and venue where we will find out if Alvarez sticks to his game plan, or if he throws it all out the window in a wild brawl with the heavy-handed Irish superstar.
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