Eddie Alvarez argues against UFC title shots for Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor

Eddie Alvarez isn’t a big fan of way the UFC is handing out title shots these days. Specifically, the current ONE Championship lightweight contender is against potential title shots for Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.

Aldo, who is the former UFC featherweight champion, made his debut in the bantamweight division at UFC 245, losing a controversial decision to Alvarez’s teammate Marlon Moraes. Despite this loss, he’s been targeted by UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo, and UFC President Dana White seems interested in booking a title fight between the two.

McGregor, meanwhile, is scheduled for a welterweight bout with Donald Cerrone on January 18. White has stated repeatedly that, if McGregor wins this welterweight fight, he could earn himself a lightweight title shot opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov, who he lost to last year.

Alvarez sees this kind of matchmaking as a problem.

“I love the UFC, I love watching it,” Alvarez told the media at Wednesday’s Philadelphia 76ers game (via Crossing Board). “An event like the last one I just saw (UFC 245), it’s the best vs. the best, the whole main card reminded me of the old UFC where you had Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, loaded cards from top to bottom and real fights. What’s happening is, I don’t like the way they’re making their own rules. Jose Aldo just lost to Marlon Moraes, a friend of mine, and Dana (White) goes public and says Aldo is getting a title shot. Like, what?

“Imagine that in this sport (basketball). You’re in the playoffs, a team wins and gets the right to go to the championship,” Alvarez continued. “The league doesn’t see it profitable enough so they just let another team go.

“It’s happening across the board. You hear them saying Conor (McGregor) is gonna get a title shot if he beats Cowboy (Donald Cerrone). He got wiped out by Khabib (Nurmagomedov). It wasn’t close. You get wiped out and you have to be honest with yourself. A lot of people have beaten Cowboy. I lost to Cowboy but Cowboy has lost something like seven out of his last 10 fights.”

What do you think of these comments from Eddie Alvarez?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/19/2019.