Eddie Alvarez says the opportunity to win titles in ONE Championship, UFC and Bellator was his driving force in jumping organizations.

Alvarez (29-6) signed with ONE Championship this week after completing his UFC contract with a loss to Dustin Poirier in July. In his first speaking engagement since the news was announced, Alvarez explained how wanting to add another marquee title belt was his primary driving force in signing the deal.

He already put himself in the record books as the first to win titles in the UFC and Bellator. Now he wants the trifecta.

“We got offers from just about everyone you guys can think of and everyone expressed interest,” Alvarez told reporters, including MMAjunkie, on a conference call Wednesday night. “As far as major organizations, ONE Championship was the only major organization that I haven’t held a world title in. I won the Bellator title twice during my career. I won the UFC title during my career, and as far as I’m concerned, ONE is the only major organization that I haven’t got to touch that world title belt.

“For myself, for my family, for my fans and everyone, this would mean that I would have a chance at making history. Possibly history that could never be made again. It would take a fighter 20 years in the fight game to be able to fight for these major organizations, and it’s almost like a lottery ticket to be able to win one world title. So to be able to go to every major organization, fight their best guys in the world, to fight the best guys in that organization and then beat them all one-by-one and win that world title, means the world to me.”

Alvarez, 34, intends on competing in the lightweight division with ONE Championship, and with its differing weight-cutting rules from North American organizations, he said he will enter the cage at roughly 169 pounds.

For Alvarez, the transition to ONE Championship and its required weight cutting practices, weight class limits and different rule sets brings on excitement. He said he prefers situations in which he’s forced to “feel comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

“Anything that’s going to get me a little bit nervous, get me afraid and get me excited, that’s what I’m up for,” Alvarez said. “I think this whole idea of flying to Singapore, joining this new – this is a whole new experience for me. It’s just going to bring nerves about like I was young again, and I look forward to feeling that way.”

Although multiple offers were on the table, Alvarez believed ONE Championship was the best fit. He had a memorable eight-fight run inside the octagon that included winning the 155-pound title, fighting Conor McGregor in one of the biggest events in company history and scoring wins over the likes of Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and more.

Alvarez said the UFC put a solid offer on the table to retain his services, but the variables involved with ONE Championship tipped the scales in its favor.

“I believe the offer from ONE was too good to turn down,” Alvarez said. “The UFC did their best. Considering what the average pay of an athlete is, I believe the UFC did a great job. They did their best to keep me, but they have a business model. They pay a certain amount to certain fighters for different reasons. Everybody is a different case. It is what it is. There’s no harm, no foul.

“But it’s a business first with these promotions, and ONE looked out for me, looked out for my family. They understood my wants and my needs, and I think it’s important at this point to return the favor.”

Alvarez will travel to Singapore for ONE Championship 83 on Nov. 9 to take in the event and have his first face-to-face meetings with his new promoters. He said he expects to make his debut in early 2019 but didn’t know any details beyond that.

Asked repeatedly about a trilogy bout with Shinya Aoki (42-8), Alvarez said he’s open to anything the organization wants to do. His primary focus is to get the title around his waist, though, to enhance his legacy.

“If I was to retire and there was an organization out there that was the best in the world and I wasn’t able (to fight there), and people would come to me and they would go, ‘Yeah, but he didn’t win the ONE world title,’ then that would bug me,” Alvarez said. “I’m going to save myself that bother and fly to Asia and take on the best lightweights there and win that world title.”

For more on the ONE Championship schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.