Eddie Alvarez believes he has the perfect gameplan to counter McGregor’s ‘rock back’ left hand on Nov. 12.
It’s no secret that Conor McGregor’s best weapon is his laser-accurate left hand.
The UFC featheweight champion has won most of his fights by using it to devastating effect, similar to how Georges St-Pierre used the take down to completely shut down his opponent’s offense.
Eddie Alvarez, though, who defends his lightweight title against McGregor in a champion vs. champion superfight on Nov. 12, believes the Irishman is a one-trick pony and claims his ‘rock back’ technique is easy to counter.
"To me, he's just a left hand," Alvarez said on the MMA Roasted podcast (transcribed by Fansided). "He's just a guy with a left hand. That's how I see him. He does something that we call a ‘rock back' well. Mayweather does it. A lot of Philly fighters do it. [McGregor] lives and breathes off it. A lot of MMA guys don't know about these boxing things that they do. This is a move that's very easily taken away and we're going to dominate every step of the way."
Alvarez, a former two-time Bellator champion who seized UFC gold with a first-round knockout of Rafael dos Anjos earlier this year, plans to implement his gameplan ‘step- by-step’ at Madison Square Garden.
"Without giving away a gameplan or anything, everything's taken away with the proper preparation. I'm confident in my coaches, I'm confident in our gameplan and our ability to go out there and do it. We're just following this gameplan step-by-step."
‘The Notorious’ used his left hand to KO Jose Aldo in just thirteen seconds at UFC 194 and repeatedly knocked down Nate Diaz with the same weapon at UFC 202.
Alvarez, who is known primarily as a brawler, employed a wrestling-heavy gameplan to beat former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night 81.
Alvarez vs. McGregor will headline the UFC 205 pay-per-view extravaganza in New York. The event takes place on November 12 at Madison Square Garden.