Eddie Alvarez Congratulates Dustin Poirier for UFC on Fox 30 Win: ‘This Makes Us 1-1’

There was a little bit of controversy behind Dustin Poirier’s win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC on Fox 30, as a standup in the second round set the stage for “The Diamond’s” technical knockout triumph this past Saturday in Calgary.

Alvarez had Poirier mounted near the cage late in the period when he threw an illegal 12-to-6 elbow than landed on his opponent’s shoulder. Referee Marc Goddard ordered a standup as a result, so Alvarez lost his dominant position. Shortly thereafter, Poirier swarmed on Alvarez for a stoppage at the 4:05 mark of the period.

Alvarez took to Instagram on Wednesday to address the controversy. He credited Poirier for “fighting beautifully,” and said he holds no harsh feelings toward Goddard for his ruling. There was also a little bit of gamesmanship in the post regarding the current standing between Alvarez and Poirier after two bouts.

“There are no grey areas in fighting. One man will lose and the other will win. That is why I love this game,” Alvarez wrote. “Controversial calls, judging and fan support can always add to the drama, but in the end [one] will stand and [one] will fall. Hats off to Dustin and his team. He stayed calm under pressure and fought beautifully, this makes us 1-1.

“In no way will I judge Goddard harshly. We have the same job. He has to make decisions in split seconds just like I do, and he makes them with my health and my opponents in mind. What’s done is done.”

Of course, Alvarez isn’t exactly correct regarding the 1-1 mark. The Philadelphia native landed an illegal knee against Poirier in their UFC 211 encounter that resulted in the bout being declared a no contest. However, Alvarez claimed that Poirier was looking for a way out.

Meanwhile, Alvarez coach Mark Henry recently tried to take the blame for the illegal strike, saying he called for his fighter to throw it from his corner. Alvarez absolved his coach of any blame for the sequence.

“As for Mark Henry calling for an elbow in the heat of the moment – an angled elbow is an incredible shot from the position I was in. It’s actually the only shot you can throw,” Alvarez wrote. “We simply had a miscommunication. It happens in war more often than not. This was a case of “friendly fire” and we ended up on the losing end of this battle.

“But let’s remember Ricardo [Almeida] and Mark are also responsible for my UFC world title and wins over some of the greatest fighters in the UFC, He’s the hardest worker on our team, obsessive, detailed, and pushes us all to understand the opportunity we have in front of is on a world stage. He’s my coach, friend, and been a mentor of mine for longer than most of you know.”

Saturday marked the final fight on Alvarez’s UFC deal. He has compiled a 4-3 mark with one no contest during his tenure thus far, winning lightweight gold with a stoppage of Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 90 in July 2016.

There are no grey areas in Fighting , one man will lose and the other will win , this is why I love this game . Controversial calls , judging , and fan support can always add to the drama but in the end 1 will stand and 1 will fall . Hats off to Dustin and his team he stayed calm under pressure and fought beautifully this makes us 1-1 . In no way will I judge Godard harshly , We have the same Job ! he has to make decisions in split seconds just like I do , and he makes them with my health and my opponents in mind . What’s done is done . As for Mark Henry calling for an elbow in the heat of the moment . An angled elbow is an incredible shot from the position I was in , it’s actually the only shot you can throw . We simply had a miscommunication, it happens in war more often than not , this was a case of “friendly fire” and we ended up on the losing end of this battle . But let’s remember Ricardo and Mark are also responsible for my UFC world title , and wins over some of the greatest fighters in the UFC , He’s the hardest worker on our team , obsessive, detailed , and pushes us all to understand the opportunity we have in front of is on a world stage . He’s my coach , friend , and Been a mentor of mine for longer than most of you know . Losing is never satisfying , I don’t lose often but when I do I grow the most as a person/fighter . Adjustments will be made , if anything this loss will add to the joy of my next Victory ! I want to thank my team , coaches , my family , and everyone who supports me in this journey . My family especially, the sacrifice falls on the back of my wife and our children . We experience great Joy in our victories and incredible Pain in our losses but our only other option is to avoid the experience and feel nothing at all . We are grateful to be able to fight every time the walk is made to the octagon , and anxiously awaiting the the opportunity to make that walk again . Thank you @ufc . I was brought here , not to win , but to entertain.... Are you not entertained ???? T.H.N.Q

A post shared by Eddie Alvarez (@ealvarezfight) on Aug 1, 2018 at 11:07am PDT