Eddie Alvarez says he is prepared for a "spiritual battle" at UFC 218.
Former UFC Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez has not won inside The Octagon since his championship victory in July of 2016. At UFC 218, he has been scheduled to fight Justin Gaethje after the two fighters coached the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. In an interview with Fightful's James Lynch, Alvarez described the intense battle he expects on Saturday.
"The past is unimportant. It's about right now. This is not going to be a tactical battle. This is not going to come down to who has better jiu-jitsu, who has better stand-up. In some part of this fight, I can visualize it being a spiritual battle. Where someone's will is going to take over," said Alvarez.
Part of the training camp for this bout took place in Las Vegas as The Ultimate Fighter was filmed according to Alvarez. He said he has been preparing for a tough fight against Gaethje, who he's been face-to-face with for months.
"That's what I am prepared for. The conditioning aspect I put in for this camp has been so incredible that I feel unbreakable. I want this man to fight me. I want to feel like my back is against the wall," said Alvarez.
Also during the interview, Alvarez discussed his experience as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 26. The finale of that season airs the night before Alvarez's fight at UFC 218 which airs December 2nd via pay-per-view.
Fightful MMA will provide live coverage and a recapping podcast for The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale and UFC 218.
The interview with Alvarez and other interviews are available on Fightful's YouTube channel.