mma / News

Eddie Alvarez Explains Decision to Sign With ONE Championship

October 17, 2018 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas

Eddie Alvarez spoke with reporters about his decision to leave the UFC and sign with ONE Championship. You can see highlights below per MMAjunkie:

On having his choice of offers: “We got offers from just about everyone you guys can think of and everyone expressed interest. As far as major organizations, ONE Championship was the only major organization that I haven’t held a world title in. I won the Bellator title twice during my career, I won the UFC title during my career, and as far as I’m concerned, ONE is the only major organization that I haven’t got to touch that world title belt. For myself, for my family, for my fans and everyone, this would mean that I would have a chance at making history. Possibly history that could never be made again. It would take a fighter 20 years in the fight game to be able to fight for these major organization, and it’s almost like a lottery ticket to be able to win one world title. So to be able to go to every major organization, fight their best guys in the world, to fight the best guys in that organization and then beat them all one-by-one and win that world title, means the world to me.”

On joining an organization with different rule sets: “Anything that’s going to get me a little bit nervous, get me afraid and get me excited, that’s what I’m up for. I think this whole idea of flying to Singapore, joining this new – this is a whole new experience for me. It’s just going to bring nerves about like I was young again and I look forward to feeling that way.”

On deciding to sign with ONE: “I believe the offer from ONE was too good to turn down. The UFC did their best – considering what the average pay of an athlete is – I believe the UFC did a great job. They did their best to keep me, but they have a business model. They pay a certain amount to certain fighters for different reasons. Everybody is a different case. It is what it is. There’s no harm, no foul. But it’s a business first with these promotions and ONE looked out for me, looked out for my family. They understood my wants and my needs and I think it’s important at this point to return the favor.”

On his goals in ONE: “If I was to retire and there was an organization out there that was the best in the world and I wasn’t able (to fight there), and people would come to me and they would go, ‘Yeah, but he didn’t win the ONE world title.’ – then that would bug me. I’m going to save myself that bother and fly to Asia and take on the best lightweights there and win that world title.”