Resilience and Eddie Alvarez go hand-in-hand.

The Philadelphia native has built a storied career where he's claimed championship gold on numerous stages around the sport and he's done so on a foundation of grit and aggression. Alvarez's skill set and natural love for the fight has earned him success in large clips, but the fight game isn't a place where momentum lasts all too long.

Whether inside of the fight itself or by way of an end result he hadn't envisioned, Alvarez is no stranger to adversity under the bright lights. That said, the 33-year-old lightweight has always bounced back with heat to throw and added motivation in his heart and mind, and his record in those situations speaks for itself.

"The Underground King" could go by "The Comeback King" as well as Alvarez has never lost back-to-back outings in his professional career. That's an impressive feat for a man who has carried elite status for as long as Alvarez has, and it's something he chalks up as a credit to his background and upbringing.

"That's the Philly in me and part of the person I am," Alvarez told FloCombat in regard to his natural resilience. "I enjoy being competitive and proving people wrong. There's a whole lot of excitement in all of that. That's just who I am and I don't know how to be any other way. I'm excited to show people what it's like to take a loss then pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get right back in there."


Photo Credit: © Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

While Alvarez has a proven knack for coming back with ferocity, his upcoming bout at UFC 211 on Saturday night will stand to tell much more about the road going forward.

Coming off knockout loss at the hands of Conor McGregor at UFC 205 last November, Alvarez knows there's going to be a lot to prove in Dallas. That's where he'll face Dustin Poirier, a fighter coming in with solid momentum and buzz after defeating veteran staple Jim Miller in his previous showing inside the Octagon.

Although Alvarez will come into UFC 211 having won three of his last four, with one of those victories earning him the UFC lightweight strap, he knows the pressure surrounding his tilt with Poirier has his back against the wall. If he wants his name to return to the title conversation a win in this fight is a must, yet, moments of pressure are nothing new to Alvarez.

Furthermore, with Poirier having his own track record of the no nonsense throwdown, Alvarez is excited to get in the Octagon and get after it.

"It's just a fight and fans cheer the fight," Alvarez said. "Fans don't necessarily cheer the fighter, but they always cheer the fight. If it's a good fight then everyone wins. I feel like he's one of those guys to do that with. It doesn't matter how much you prepare for a fight you never know how fans are going to react to what happens inside the cage, but when you have two guys who are resilient, conditioned and don't give up; I feel like the fans and the fighters win every time.

"I'm looking to test myself. I'm looking to go up against a guy who thinks this fight is winnable and show the fans what I'm made of."


Jan 17, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Eddie Alvarez (blue) pins Anthony Pettis (red) during a lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden. Alvarez won after three rounds by split decision. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Poirier is the fighter coming into Dallas with a head of steam, which makes him the ideal opponent for Alvarez to capitalize upon. By knocking off the Louisiana native, Alvarez can kickstart some momentum of his own, and remind the entire fight game what he's capable of in the process.

"For me it was about the most well-known guy who has the most buzz around him," Alvarez said. "I want to be involved in the fights everyone wants to watch. Everybody is watching Dustin right now. He got Fight of the Night in a win over Jim Miller and everybody has their eye on him thinking he's the next big thing coming in the lightweight division.

"I'm just trying to get involved in the fights fans want to watch. I kept my eyes and ears on the social networks, I listen to what the fans and everyone says and pick my opponents accordingly to what people say. And this is the guy."

Before Alvarez could move his focus onto the fight with Poirier, he first had to face up to the ghost of a rough night at Madison Square Garden. Even for a savvy and experienced fighter like Alvarez the highest of highs and lowest of lows still leave marks, but in his signature fashion the former Bellator and UFC titleholder found a way to begin the climb back to square.

Once his footing was established it was all systems go as Alvarez launched out on a mission to show and prove. He found himself back inside the gym working with guru Mark Henry, and suddenly enjoying the process of progress more than he had in years.


Jul 7, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Eddie Alvarez reacts following his victory against Rafael Dos Anjos during UFC Fight Night at MGM Grand Graden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

"When I was thinking about UFC 205 and getting over that whole thing I just got back to keeping it simple," Alvarez said. "I put my focus on just improving. I returned to the aspects of the game I enjoy and worked on improving as much as possible. In doing so I started to enjoy my training camp a lot more. I found myself flowing and in that zone.

"I've been enjoying myself more than anything. I've brought myself back to gratitude and being happy I get to compete. That's where I'm at now, man. I'm having a good time training and getting ready just like I was 17 again.

"There have been a lot of times in my career where I questioned if what I'm doing was worthwhile. I've done well for myself and my family as far as all that goes and now it's about getting back to why I loved it to begin with. I made a sh*tload of money fighting Conor McGregor, but I had to get back to loving what I'm doing and I've done that. I'm enjoying fighting again and I'm having a helluva a great time doing it."

If there is anyone out there writing Alvarez off simply because of UFC 205, Alvarez is fine with that for the moment. He doesn't need you to check his stats or his resume, all he needs you to do is tune in on Saturday night because he has something to show you.

"Every once in a while you have to put it back in their heads and remind them who you are and what you've done. This just might be one of those fights where we have to do that."

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