Eddie Alvarez appears to be taking his loss to Dustin Poirier in stride.
While the contest appeared to be surrounded by ill-feelings before the bout, and the finish had something of a controversial edge to it, the former UFC lightweight champion isn’t shying away from the result of the fight. Ahead of the finish, Alvarez landed an illegal 12-6 elbow that forced referee Marc Goddard to halt the action, giving Poirier a chance to land a heavy shot and finish the bout.
Today, Alvarez took to his social media to offer his first thoughts since the defeat, as well as his opinion on Goddard’s involvement.
“There are no grey areas in Fighting, one man will lose and the other will win, this is why I love this game,” Alvarez wrote. “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(sic) 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????”
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