Eddie Alvarez Says Dana White Critics Don’t Necessarily Understand UFC President’s Position

Rather than blasting Dana White for his insistence on going forward with UFC 249 during the coronavirus pandemic, Eddie Alvarez is offering a different perspective on the role of the UFC president.

Alvarez, who was briefly the UFC champion during a four-year stint with the Las Vegas-based promotion from 2014 to 2018 before signing with One Championship, believes that most outsiders – including himself – aren’t aware of all the obligations White must fulfill.

“Dana White’s job, I don’t ever want to be in his position,” Alvarez recently said on ”Beatdown.”

“For any of us to try to play president of the UFC is silly. I don’t want to be in any of those positions to have to make those decisions. I know at the top, any decision you make is going to be met with a ton of criticism from an audience who would never take on that responsibility.”

The UFC was forced to cancel cards on March 21, March 28 and April 11 due to concerns regarding the coronavirus. In the meantime, White has taken a combative stance against media anyone else who scrutinizes the promotion’s plans on holding UFC 249 on April 18. At the moment, a location for the event remains unknown, but the UFC boss is adamant it will happen – even as government regulations to combat the disease have limited travel, closed businesses and restricted large gatherings. UFC 249 is expected to be held behind closed doors when a venue is selected.

Alvarez, meanwhile is slated to face Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev at a One Championshp event on May 29, which if all goes as planned, will be the Singapore-based promotion’s first card with spectators since Feb. 19. Of course, much could change with the COVID-19 situation between now and then.

“The Underground King” understands what it’s like to be second guessed after a fight, so he can only imagine what it might be for White during this period. While Alvarez is taking the pandemic seriously and is observing social distancing in his Pennsylvania home, he says he isn’t in a place to offer an informed critique of White’s decision making.

“I don’t envy the position he’s in,” Alvarez said. “He has an obligation to that company to make it money, to keep the sport alive and going, along with 600 fighters that are looking for a fight. As much as the audience is going to say, ‘You should do that and you should do this,’ it reminds me of the same guy at the grocery store who tells me, ‘You should’ve thrown a right hook or you should’ve ducked your head to the right when you were doing that fight.’ It’s simple from the outside for you guys to make these decisions, really difficult decisions.

“My opinion really wouldn’t matter. I’m ignorant of what he has going on.”