By Dustin De La Torre
::This interview was done before Eddie Alvarez’s injury which pushed back his fight with Michael Chandler::
FHTV: How is your training camp coming along for your title fight versus Michael Chandler?
Eddie Alvarez: Everything is going according to plan. Fortunately I was able to start my training four months prior to the fight so I feel ready. Now the next couple months will be focused on more frequent training and continuing physical and mental prep.
FHTV: Are there any specific areas in your fight game that you are working on for this fight with Michael Chandler?
Eddie Alvarez: I’m working on my recovery from the groin kick based on his last fight against Pitbull (Patricky Freire) ::laughs out loud::
FHTV: What are your thoughts on Michael Chandler? What are some strong points in his game?
Eddie Alvarez: I think the best part of his game is his conditioning and his ability to maintain a high pace. However, that is one of my biggest strengths as well; so that being said, fans can expect an exciting fight.
FHTV: Here at Fight Hub TV we also cover boxing. We know that you have trained with Bernard Hopkins. What are some things that you have picked up from Bernard?
Eddie Alvarez: I do not train exclusively with Bernard. I consider him a friend and someone I look up to for his ability. I would prefer to keep specifics about our interactions between us.
FHTV: Bernard was very critical of MMA even calling it “gay” at one point. But in a recent interview he stated that he now has a lot of respect for MMA and MMA fighters. He thanked you and said getting to train with you gave him that appreciation for the sport of MMA. What are your thoughts about that?
Eddie Alvarez: That is cool that I may have played a small roll in his reconsideration. I don’t feel like I changed his mind necessarily, more so that he is an intelligent guy and has become more educated about MMA and the legitimacy as a sport.
FHTV: You are the first and only Bellator lightweight champion. Talk about that first season of the tournament and in particular the tournament format. Does having a quick turn around between fight help you?
Eddie Alvarez: Yes it does. I stay conditioned constantly and I am the type of fighter that needs to fight frequently. I feel like that helps me stay sharp. I also love the fact that in that format, fans are getting more frequent gratification, which is great.
FHTV: It is very similar to your days in Dream where you fought in some tournaments. Speaking of Dream, talk about your match with Tatsuya Kawajiri. That fight that was considered by many MMA insiders as the 2008 fight of the year.
Eddie Alvarez: I consider that fight my toughest to date. Reason being there were a few times during that fight when I felt like the referee might stop it because of my eye. I felt like time was against me and felt pressured to finish that fight more so than some of my other tough fights. I was fighting my opponent and the clock.
FHTV: After your fight with Roger Huerta you publicly stated you wanted to take on Gilbert Melendez, the StrikeForce lightweight champion. Was there any frustration on your end that the fight had never materialized?
Eddie Alvarez: Yes a little, but only because I was being called out. I acted out of character just to make that happen. Normally I would not have called out another fighter or his promoter.
FHTV: I know a lot of fighters do not care about rankings but do you feel sometimes people sleep on you because you aren’t fighting in the UFC?
Eddie Alvarez: Ranking is all opinion based and to me it is a way to secure a good contract. Other than that it is all objective. Any knowledgeable fan knows this and bases their opinion of a fighter on performance against other good fighters and not rankings.
FHTV: You are very close to current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Talk about what it is like being around Frankie and getting to train with him?
Eddie Alvarez: It is a very competitive environment with Frankie. We are among the only top-ranked fighters in the same weight class that work together on a regular basis.
Thank you Eddie for taking the time to sit down with us at Fight Hub TV
