Eddie Alvarez (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

Gilbert Melendez has been calling for a fight with Eddie Alvarez for several years, and the latter hopes to make the lightweight regret that wish on Saturday night.

Alvarez and Melendez are finally scheduled to fight at UFC 188 this weekend, several years after talk about the two fighting began. Back when Alvarez was ruling Bellator’s 155 division, and Melendez was the lightweight champ with Strikeforce, there was hope the promotions could out the fight together. The match-up, however, never materialized until now.

The 31 year-old Alvarez recently spoke to UFC.com about this Saturday’s bout, and while doing so, he had this to say about Melendez:

“I try not to enter any fight with a bunch of expectations because fighting never goes exactly the way you want it to. On Saturday night I’ll be focused and ready. My intentions are to absolutely dominate Gilbert Melendez in a way that makes him absolutely rethink ever calling my name. That’s the sort of preparation I attacked this training camp with. I want to make him regret ever being curious about seeing how he would fare against me inside the cage. That’s the goal and that’s what I’m going to execute on Saturday.”

Alvarez (25-4) will be looking to get back on track, after he was decisioned by Donald Cerrone in his Octagon debut last September.

Melendez (22-4) is also coming off a loss, as he was submitted by now former champ, Anthony Pettis in December.

UFC 188 will be hosted by Mexico City.