Quotes from Eddie Alvarez

I've got the fighting Irish, and Puerto Ricans are some of the best fighters in the world. I'm proud of who I am, but it doesn't define me as a person.

It's MMA - anything can happen. You can throw a punch from one knee, a punch from anywhere.

Gray Maynard? Kenny Florian? All these guys, they're UFC fighters, that's all. They're pushed by the UFC, but when they leave the UFC, they're forgotten. When's the last time you heard Josh Neer's name? You haven't. When's the last time you heard about Roger Hurerta? You haven't. They're no ones anymore.

I think it's important to say that I am genuinely thankful for the time at Bellator.

The right thing to do is just ask what you can give, and then let things manifest in the time they're supposed to.

I think sports is a quest to find out what really is - not what perceptions are.

I can walk into a restaurant and knock five guys out, become 5-0 real quick. It's about the quality of opponent. You have to beat the right guys to call yourself the No. 1 contender.

I think bullying in general is for cowards.

The longer I'm in this sport, the more I realize that it's not about the wins and losses that makes you a good fighter. It's about putting the time in and fighting the best guys possible and going after them. The outcome will take care of itself.

I rarely think that when a guy loses a fight, it's a weight issue. You can either fight, or you can't.

If you're not successful at a certain weight, it rarely has anything to do with gaining or losing 10 pounds. It's something inside of you that you need to fix in order to win. It rarely has anything to do with cutting 10 pounds.

I've experienced success, I've experienced failure, I've been a world champion, I've fought all over the world; I think I've experienced enough that I won't get in front of a million people and get gunshy.

The idea is to go out there and win in a dominant fashion. That changes people's minds, the way they're thinking about me, and lets people know I'm here to contend for a title.

You win a world title, you beat the best guys in the world, and a lot of these fans are kind of misconstrued about who are the best fighters in the world.

It's hard when you win the title to not think, 'I'm here. Now what do I do?'

I had to fight Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Gil Melendez, Rafael Dos Anjos. I had to fight these guys in order to prove myself in order to get a title shot.

I beat Gilbert Melendez, and he got two shots at the title.

I want to prove the naysayers wrong. They're everywhere. And to be honest with you, they're all I see, and they're what motivates me.

Regardless of the magnitude, the crowd, or the pay-per-view sales, the goal is to beat the guy in front of me.

Going in there just to win and put on a boring fight, I don't want to be related to anything like that.

There's a part of martial arts where we need humility and respect.

Having your worst nightmares kind of come true is truly liberating.

I've knocked a ton of guys out. I know the power I have and the advantages I have against the best in the world.

It's a fist fight - the idea is to go out there and impose my will.