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Edson Barboza addresses possible fight with teammate Eddie Alvarez
As Edson Barboza prepared to face former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in his last fight, he was confident about getting a win, but the addition of a secret weapon to his training camp made all the difference.
That weapon was fellow lightweight Eddie Alvarez.
Alvarez recently relocated from working with his previous team in Florida to move back home, where he started working with coaches and training partners in New Jersey with Barboza counted among them.
The move helped Alvarez win the lightweight title just a couple of weeks ago, but he also assisted Barboza with the tips and tricks he used to beat Pettis at UFC 197. Now, Barboza is calling on Alvarez again as he prepares to face Gilbert Melendez at FOX UFC Fight Night in Chicago this Saturday night.
"It's a blessing to have Eddie here. He's helped me a lot," Barboza told FOX Sports. "He fought with Gilbert and the same with Pettis. He told me 'he's good here, not so good here' and he did the same thing with Gilbert. He helped me a lot.
"He's the champ right now and I'm happy for him. I'm very blessed to have him as a training partner."
Of course Alvarez joining the same team as Barboza also brings up potential conflicts in the future.
Now that Alvarez is champion, he's tasked with facing all the top contenders in his division and Barboza is a top 10-ranked fighter with aspirations of one day having the gold wrapped around his waist.
From the sound of things, Barboza has no desire to face his friend and teammate even if the title is on the line, but that's not the fight that's in front of him right now so he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
"Right now my focus is 100-percent on Gilbert," Barboza said. "I'm very happy Eddie got his belt. I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm just focused on my next fight."
http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/...ible-fight-with-teammate-eddie-alvarez-072216
As Edson Barboza prepared to face former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in his last fight, he was confident about getting a win, but the addition of a secret weapon to his training camp made all the difference.
That weapon was fellow lightweight Eddie Alvarez.
Alvarez recently relocated from working with his previous team in Florida to move back home, where he started working with coaches and training partners in New Jersey with Barboza counted among them.
The move helped Alvarez win the lightweight title just a couple of weeks ago, but he also assisted Barboza with the tips and tricks he used to beat Pettis at UFC 197. Now, Barboza is calling on Alvarez again as he prepares to face Gilbert Melendez at FOX UFC Fight Night in Chicago this Saturday night.
"It's a blessing to have Eddie here. He's helped me a lot," Barboza told FOX Sports. "He fought with Gilbert and the same with Pettis. He told me 'he's good here, not so good here' and he did the same thing with Gilbert. He helped me a lot.
"He's the champ right now and I'm happy for him. I'm very blessed to have him as a training partner."
Of course Alvarez joining the same team as Barboza also brings up potential conflicts in the future.
Now that Alvarez is champion, he's tasked with facing all the top contenders in his division and Barboza is a top 10-ranked fighter with aspirations of one day having the gold wrapped around his waist.
From the sound of things, Barboza has no desire to face his friend and teammate even if the title is on the line, but that's not the fight that's in front of him right now so he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
"Right now my focus is 100-percent on Gilbert," Barboza said. "I'm very happy Eddie got his belt. I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm just focused on my next fight."
http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/...ible-fight-with-teammate-eddie-alvarez-072216