Eddie Alvarez was surprised that Dustin Poirier knocked out Conor McGregor at UFC 257, but says Dustin deserves all of his success.
Poirier and McGregor met on Fight Island last January in a rematch fight. After their first fight in September 2014 ended with McGregor knocking Poirier out in the first round, many fans thought the Irishman would get the job done again in the rematch.
Eddie Alvarez explains Poirier’s real key to beating McGregor
However, Poirier pulled off the upset when he was able to knock McGregor out in the second round. The two will now square off at UFC 264 this summer in Las Vegas in what is one of the biggest trilogies the UFC has ever presented.
Eddie Alvarez, who held bouts with both fighters, in a recent interview admitted to Poirier knocking out McGregor at UFC 257. However, Alvarez said he was happy to see Porier win the January fight.
“I was surprised. I thought if the fight stood, Conor would have the advantage. But if you go back and look at my interviews, I said it clearly, if there’s any way Dustin can do this, he absolutely needs to put a sprint on McGregor, and that’s how he ended up finishing him. I feel like he put that sprint on him. Dustin does these sprint really well. They come in waves, like maybe a 20-second sprint, then he’ll go back to the box and then he’ll do another 20-second sprint.”
Alvarez is convinced that those sprints, those changes of pace and pressure were the key to Poirier’s win.
“He put that sprint on Conor, forced him to panic. It forced him to make mistakes, it got his heart rate up and he was able to get to the finish. It was phenomenal. I was happy for him. If anyone in that division deserves that kind of success, money or accolades, it’s Dustin. He’s put in his time, he’s fought the best and he’s starting to see the fruits of his labor.”
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