Eddie Alvarez breaks silence after loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC on FOX 30

01.08.2018 23:00

mmafighting.com

After several days of silence, Eddie Alvarez has opened up about his UFC on FOX 30 loss to Dustin Poirier.

The former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion had a highly entertaining rematch with Poirier on Saturday night in Calgary, one which was not without controversy.

Alvarez was in a dominant position in the second round when he threw an illegal 12-6 elbow, which caused referee Marc Goddard to order a standup. After the standup, Poirier rallied for a TKO victory.

In the bout’s aftermath, Alvarez’s acclaimed striking coach, Mark Henry, took the blame for the illegal elbow.

But Wednesday, Alvarez made a long post on Instagram giving his thoughts on the fight, and it’s clear he’s not going to let anyone take the heat for him. Over the course of the post, Alvarez congratulated Poirier for his victory, and refused to either blame Goddard or Henry for his actions in the fight.

“In no way will I judge Godard harshly,” Alvarez said. “We have the same Job ! he has to make decisions in split seconds just like I do, and he makes them with my health and my opponents in mind. What’s done is done.”

On Henry, Alvarez reminded fans this is the man who helped guide him to a world championship.

“Let’s remember Ricardo [Almeida] and Mark are also responsible for my UFC world title , and wins over some of the greatest fighters in the UFC,” Alvarez said. “He’s the hardest worker on our team , obsessive, detailed , and pushes us all to understand the opportunity we have in front of is on a world stage . He’s my coach , friend , and Been a mentor of mine for longer than most of you know.”

You can read Alvarez’s entire post below.

There are no grey areas in Fighting , one man will lose and the other will win , this is why I love this game . Controversial calls , judging , and fan support can always add to the drama but in the end 1 will stand and 1 will fall . Hats off to Dustin and his team he stayed calm under pressure and fought beautifully this makes us 1-1 . In no way will I judge Godard harshly , We have the same Job ! he has to make decisions in split seconds just like I do , and he makes them with my health and my opponents in mind . What’s done is done . As for Mark Henry calling for an elbow in the heat of the moment . An angled elbow is an incredible shot from the position I was in , it’s actually the only shot you can throw . We simply had a miscommunication, it happens in war more often than not , this was a case of “friendly fire” and we ended up on the losing end of this battle . But let’s remember Ricardo and Mark are also responsible for my UFC world title , and wins over some of the greatest fighters in the UFC , He’s the hardest worker on our team , obsessive, detailed , and pushes us all to understand the opportunity we have in front of is on a world stage . He’s my coach , friend , and Been a mentor of mine for longer than most of you know . Losing is never satisfying , I don’t lose often but when I do I grow the most as a person/fighter . Adjustments will be made , if anything this loss will add to the joy of my next Victory ! I want to thank my team , coaches , my family , and everyone who supports me in this journey . My family especially, the sacrifice falls on the back of my wife and our children . We experience great Joy in our victories and incredible Pain in our losses but our only other option is to avoid the experience and feel nothing at all . We are grateful to be able to fight every time the walk is made to the octagon , and anxiously awaiting the the opportunity to make that walk again . Thank you @ufc . I was brought here , not to win , but to entertain.... Are you not entertained ???? T.H.N.Q

A post shared by Eddie Alvarez (@ealvarezfight) on Aug 1, 2018 at 11:07am PDT