UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregorNov 11, 2016 by Duane Finley
Eddie Alvarez Playing Strong in Lead Up to Conor McGregor Fight
Eddie Alvarez Playing Strong in Lead Up to Conor McGregor Fight
Eddie Alvarez shut down--and perhaps even bested--Conor McGregor during the UFC 205 pre-fight presser in New York City.
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in the MMA sphere. Whatever the Irishman does garners massive attention, and when "Notorious" signs on to fight, the aura surrounding him hits a fever pitch.
The phenomenon of McGregor's takeover rose to a new level upon the announcement of his fight with current lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. The promotion endured a highly publicized battle to legalize MMA in New York City, and with the news, arguably the biggest draw in the organization's history would take the headline spot.
McGregor's penchant for trash talk and showmanship has rattled the large majority of his opponents throughout his rise, and the added weight of the historic event at Madison Square Garden could have easily formed the perfect storm of turmoil to rattle the Philadelphia native.
But it hasn't. Not even a little bit.
In fact, not only has Alvarez handled large doses of a primed McGregor mic game, but he's also played a maestro hand in the pre-fight buildup to land plenty of his own shots.
Unlike some of McGregor's opponents, Alvarez seemed very much aware of what he was getting into. Every press appearance is another chapter in the drawn-out game of mental warfare, and Alvarez has handled the fight before the fight accordingly. Giving credit where credit is due, Alvarez did actually get McGregor to take those "stupid sunglasses" off.
Nevertheless, that was in the early days of Alvarez vs. McGregor, and there has been plenty of pre-fight fireworks between then and Thursday afternoon in New York during the official UFC 205 pre-fight presser.
McGregor's persona outshined nearly everyone on the stage at the UFC 205 press conference back in September, but Alvarez was not a name on that list. The lightweight champion fired back at every turn and certainly held his own as the Conor McGregor Show kept rolling.
On Thursday afternoon at the UFC 205 press conference, Alvarez turned the tides in a big way.
After deciding he wasn't going to be a part of the signature McGregor delay at press events, Alvarez up and exited stage right. Gone. Shortly after the 155-pound champion vanished, a fur-coated McGregor danced his way across stage to grab Alvarez's title and place it next to his own.
The move was an absolutely solid play on McGregor's part and appeared to put him in the driver's seat for the rest of the event, but Alvarez returned and shut down his shine in a big way. The Mark Henry-trained fighter first retrieved his belt, then provoked McGregor to lose his cool by tossing a folding chair directly next to where he was sitting.
A WWE-esque melee ensued that pushed things back to square and marked the unofficial start of the press conference.
McGregor talked McGregor things at high volume, but Alvarez picked his windows and made heavy shots count. One in particular seemed to change McGregor's entire dynamic.
Rumors of McGregor taking a lengthy layoff after UFC 205 have swirled for a bit, with the SBG Ireland leader making reference to personal issues being at the center. Alvarez took an opportunity to drop a hammer on the featherweight champion.
"Conor's having two kids, and his girlfriend is not having twins, so you do the math," he said.
McGregor didn't appear to be all too keen on the comment, but Alvarez's blast certainly served to quiet the Dubliner down a bit. Nevertheless, McGregor kept his cool, and the press conference finished without further incident.
While McGregor's over-the-top flash and presentation could have easily pushed his other fighters on the dais to the background, Alvarez played things just strong enough to neutralize the Conor Effect, and to make a bit of ground in the process.
Just two days out from the fight, McGregor typically has his opponent rattled or jarred to some degree, but that does not appear to be the case with Alvarez. And keeping his focus on the task at hand despite being in the center of a promotional circus has been a job well done.
The best part of the fight game is we get to see two competitors step into the Octagon and settle their business, but the pre-bout build is a big part of what gets us excited.
Alvarez has done a solid job being McGregor's dance partner, and hopefully those elements transfer into the cage on Saturday night at UFC 205.
The phenomenon of McGregor's takeover rose to a new level upon the announcement of his fight with current lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. The promotion endured a highly publicized battle to legalize MMA in New York City, and with the news, arguably the biggest draw in the organization's history would take the headline spot.
McGregor's penchant for trash talk and showmanship has rattled the large majority of his opponents throughout his rise, and the added weight of the historic event at Madison Square Garden could have easily formed the perfect storm of turmoil to rattle the Philadelphia native.
But it hasn't. Not even a little bit.
In fact, not only has Alvarez handled large doses of a primed McGregor mic game, but he's also played a maestro hand in the pre-fight buildup to land plenty of his own shots.
Unlike some of McGregor's opponents, Alvarez seemed very much aware of what he was getting into. Every press appearance is another chapter in the drawn-out game of mental warfare, and Alvarez has handled the fight before the fight accordingly. Giving credit where credit is due, Alvarez did actually get McGregor to take those "stupid sunglasses" off.
Nevertheless, that was in the early days of Alvarez vs. McGregor, and there has been plenty of pre-fight fireworks between then and Thursday afternoon in New York during the official UFC 205 pre-fight presser.
McGregor's persona outshined nearly everyone on the stage at the UFC 205 press conference back in September, but Alvarez was not a name on that list. The lightweight champion fired back at every turn and certainly held his own as the Conor McGregor Show kept rolling.
On Thursday afternoon at the UFC 205 press conference, Alvarez turned the tides in a big way.
After deciding he wasn't going to be a part of the signature McGregor delay at press events, Alvarez up and exited stage right. Gone. Shortly after the 155-pound champion vanished, a fur-coated McGregor danced his way across stage to grab Alvarez's title and place it next to his own.
The move was an absolutely solid play on McGregor's part and appeared to put him in the driver's seat for the rest of the event, but Alvarez returned and shut down his shine in a big way. The Mark Henry-trained fighter first retrieved his belt, then provoked McGregor to lose his cool by tossing a folding chair directly next to where he was sitting.
A WWE-esque melee ensued that pushed things back to square and marked the unofficial start of the press conference.
McGregor talked McGregor things at high volume, but Alvarez picked his windows and made heavy shots count. One in particular seemed to change McGregor's entire dynamic.
Rumors of McGregor taking a lengthy layoff after UFC 205 have swirled for a bit, with the SBG Ireland leader making reference to personal issues being at the center. Alvarez took an opportunity to drop a hammer on the featherweight champion.
"Conor's having two kids, and his girlfriend is not having twins, so you do the math," he said.
McGregor didn't appear to be all too keen on the comment, but Alvarez's blast certainly served to quiet the Dubliner down a bit. Nevertheless, McGregor kept his cool, and the press conference finished without further incident.
While McGregor's over-the-top flash and presentation could have easily pushed his other fighters on the dais to the background, Alvarez played things just strong enough to neutralize the Conor Effect, and to make a bit of ground in the process.
Just two days out from the fight, McGregor typically has his opponent rattled or jarred to some degree, but that does not appear to be the case with Alvarez. And keeping his focus on the task at hand despite being in the center of a promotional circus has been a job well done.
The best part of the fight game is we get to see two competitors step into the Octagon and settle their business, but the pre-bout build is a big part of what gets us excited.
Alvarez has done a solid job being McGregor's dance partner, and hopefully those elements transfer into the cage on Saturday night at UFC 205.