Eddie Alvarez is here to fight. That¡¯s it. ¡°The Underground King¡± isn¡¯t interested in playing a character or engaging in over-the-top WWE-style promotion.

The selling point of a fight should be the fight, according to the Philadelphia native. That¡¯s why he says he¡¯s felt so at home in ONE Championship since his high-profile move to the Singapore-based martial arts circuit in October. Because he can be himself.

¡°In America especially, the UFC in particular, I think there¡¯s more condoning and pushing of fighters talking disrespectful to each other, more selling of a fight,¡± Alvarez told the Japan Times last week at a Tokyo hotel. ¡°The fans themselves, they don¡¯t understand the sport enough to be emotionally invested in it. They need a story, they need s¡ª- talk, they need that in order to watch the fight and pay for the fight.