Alvarez wants Diaz-McGregor winner for 1st title defense

Newly crowned UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez is looking beyond his weight class for his first title defense.

Alvarez recently beat Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 90 to win the belt, and while the UFC's perpetually stacked lightweight division boasts no shortage of contenders, "The Underground King" would rather put the title on the line against the winner of the Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz rematch at UFC 202 in August.

"Initially, I want the winner of Conor and Nate. I would like a big pay-per-view, a big money fight. I'm willing to wait for one of them guys," Alvarez told SiriusXM Rush's The Countdown hosts Luis J. Gomez and Dave Smith.

The champion did mention top contenders Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov, adding that rankings are entirely subjective and don't necessarily dictate what matchups get booked. Alvarez argued that the No. 3-ranked Ferguson has been the more active of the two, while top-rated Nurmagomedov's last opponent, a late replacement for Ferguson, was unranked.

The McGregor-Diaz rematch somewhat echoes Alvarez's disdain for an official hierarchy, given they're moving up from their respective featherweight and lightweight divisions to clash at welterweight.

"Who gives a (expletive) about rankings?" Alvarez said. "The rankings only matter to me in my contract because, for some reason, when you go to renegotiate your contract, being No. 1 means something, and it means you get paid more."