Amosov showed off his submission game with his first-round anaconda choke of Magny, but the ground holds no fears for Alvarez, whose 17 career submissions eclipse Amosov’s 12 tapout wins. Alvarez was keen to stress that while his ability to finish fights on the mat is well documented, he’s more than capable of getting the job done by other means, too.

“The numbers don’t lie, so we have that (submission) weapon, as well,” he pointed out. “And again, we know what he’s going to do – he’s going to try to take this fight to the ground. But, as we like to say, we’re like that Swiss Army Knife that has many different weapons, and let’s see how this fight goes on Saturday night.”

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Along with reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, Alvarez is helping lead the charge for Spanish MMA on the world stage, and he said that the momentum is building for a UFC event on Spanish soil. Victory for Alvarez on Saturday night would only help increase that impetus, as the call gets louder for the UFC to hit the road and land in Spain in the not-too-distant future.

“A lot relies on Saturday, and the result on Saturday,” he said. “I think that we’re very close out there. It’s a key moment for UFC in Spain. We have events approaching that impact Spanish MMA. I think we’re very, very close to taking the UFC to Spain.”