Eddie Alvarez can't understand why some pundits are betting against him in a lightweight, co-main event collision with former UFC champion, Anthony Pettis, at UFC Fight Night 81 this Sunday night (Jan. 17, 2016) inside TD Garden in Boston.
Alvarez, 31, is 1-1 in ZUFFA and coming off ra split-decision victory over two-time UFC title challenger, Gilbert Melendez, last June. The Philadelphia native was the 155-pound king of Bellator between 2009-2011 and knows what it's like to fall from a champion's perch, like "Showtime" did when he crumbled against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185.
With that being said, Alvarez is confident (via MMA Fighting) he'll be able to halt the comeback of Pettis in "Beantown":
"It becomes stressful, but you also kind of get a target on your back.