Eddie Alvarez Is Backing Justin Gaethje To Beat Khabib Nurmagomedov

Eddie Alvarez is one of the most decorated fighters in mixed martial arts. Currently competing in ONE Championship, ‘The Underground King’ has won world titles in the UFC and Bellator and has won 30 of 38 fights, with 24 wins being finishes.

In the last ten years, the 36-year-old the who’s who of MMA lightweights. Including Justin Gaethje who he fought at UFC 218 in an exciting matchup that saw Alvarez capture a third-round knockout victory.

Big Respect For Gaethje

Speaking to the SCMP MMA, Alvarez expressed a tremendous amount of respect for the interim UFC lightweight champion.

“To me it’s no feather in my cap. Justin was a hell of a fighter when we fought. He still is,” Alvarez said. “I never thought of Justin any differently after I knocked him out. I always thought Justin was incredible.

“I always thought our fight could have been 50-50. He could have ended me before I ended him. It could have happened any way, so I’ve always seen him as a champion.”

Khabib vs Gaethje

Gaethje exceeded expectations when he defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. Coming into the fight as an underdog, he dominated ‘El Cucuy’ in every round before coming away with a 5th-round TKO win and the UFC interim lightweight belt. ‘The Highlight’ hopes to unify the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 in one of the biggest fights of the year. For Alvarez, he hopes the interim champion comes out on top.

“For me, personally, as a fan of the sport, I like watching him more than anyone else in the sport of MMA. That’s just my opinion and the sort of fights I like watching and the fighters I like watching. So I’m a fan of his.

“I’m glad he’s fighting for a title and I hope he puts Khabib away. He deserves it. He deserves big money. He’s been through the ringer and he’s fought the best guys in the world, so I hope he gets everything he deserves.”

“I’m Still The Most Violent Man In The World”

Both ‘The Underground King’ and ‘The Highlight’ have been known for their all-out style of fighting. It is what sets them apart from other MMA fighters. But Alvarez believes he surpasses Gaethje overall in this area.

“I’m still the most violent man in the world. I don’t have anything back here saying that,” he said, gesturing to the trophy cabinet behind him. “But I won that title. That was a one and done. And it’s not in the trophy case, but I will remain the most violent man in the sport forever.”

Will Justin Gaethje or Khabib Nurmagomedov walk out of UFC 254 as the undisputed UFC lightweight champion?

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