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Eddie Alvarez revealed that it’s hard for him to believe that Justin Gaethje won’t hold gold at some point. Alvarez suggested that Gaethje is likely to win the undisputed UFC lightweight title in the future.
MMA legend Eddie Alvarez, revered by fans worldwide as 'The Underground King', has previously held the Bellator lightweight title and the undisputed UFC lightweight title. Justin Gaethje has previously held the interim UFC lightweight title.
Gaethje was unable to win the undisputed UFC lightweight title as he was defeated in the title unification fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Speaking to James Lynch on Fanatics View, Eddie Alvarez explained which fighter is the biggest threat in the lightweight division:
“I think (Justin) Gaethje is going to be the one kind of vying for that title…He only lost to two guys, right? Me and Dustin (Poirier) – Two guys who both held gold, both champions. Other than that, he absolutely obliterated every single opponent they put in front of him.”
“Not beat,” Eddie Alvarez emphasized, “Not beat. He beat the sh** out of like some of the top guys in the world. So, it’s difficult for me to think that he’s not going to hold that gold in his hand at some point.”
Speaking about Gaethje's trainers, Alvarez said:
“He’s got Trevor (Wittman) behind him. He trains with (Kamaru) Usman, who’s also a champion. And I feel like they have all their ducks in line to put him on a championship run. So, you know, I feel like he’s going to be working his way to become top dog.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Eddie Alvarez notably pointed out that Justin Gaethje trains under respected MMA coach Trevor Wittman.
One ought to note that while Eddie Alvarez mentioned Justin Gaethje’s only losses came against the former and Dustin Poirier, he forgot Gaethje’s most recent fight. Justin Gaethje’s last fight witnessed him lose via second-round submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 in October 2020.
Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje continue hunting for gold
Presently, Eddie Alvarez competes in ONE Championship’s lightweight division. The lightweight division in ONE Championship is fought at 170 lbs whereas the same division in the UFC is for 155 lbs fighters.
Alvarez is scheduled to fight Iuri Lapicus at ONE on TNT 1 on April 7th, 2021, in a 170-pound bout. 'The Underground King' has consistently asserted his goal of winning the ONE Championship lightweight title. Alvarez could find himself in a title fight if he beats Iuri Lapicus.
Meanwhile, Justin Gaethje does not have an opponent scheduled for now. The belief is that Gaethje will fight against a top-ten ranked UFC lightweight in his next fight.
Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje fought at UFC 218 in December 2017, with Alvarez winning via third-round KO.
