Eddie Alvarez shares inspirational story from the very beginning of his MMA career

Long before Eddie Alvarez established himself as one of the world’s best fighters, he worked long, hard days pouring concrete.

When he finally got the opportunity to become a full-time fighter, he assumed that his life was going to get easier — that the early mornings and long days of physical labor were over.

Turns out, he was wrong.

Speaking on his Instagram page on Thursday morning, Eddie Alvarez opened up on his transition from the world of concrete to the world of fighting. While he admits that his work didn’t get any easier, he says he became a whole lot happier.

Check out his awesome story below:

“Rise and grind , God is good , another day to fight . My first goal ever in this sport was to make enough money fighting to quit my concrete job so I can spend my full day preparing for opponents . Concrete was 5-6 am wake up , concrete was a constant physical torture . Everyday I had someone telling what to do . Concrete was pure suffering . At 23 years old I got a contract from Bodog for 30k per fight , at the time I only 45k a year in concrete . I remember running upstairs to tell Jamie like it was yesterday . My first day as a full time fighter I woke up at 6 am , by 7am training my heart was racing 180 bmp , I was in pain , and to make matters worse someone was yelling at me telling me what to do 🤣🤣🤣 at that moment I realized I have traded one suffering for another the only difference was I loved it !!! I dare you to give your whole life to something you love without certainty, flex your faith , and go all in . You are more powerful than you think are , We all are . Do what you love at all cost and more importantly fuck concrete” – Eddie Alvarez on Instagram.

Eddie Alvarez is set to make his ONE Championship debut on March 31 in Tokyo, Japan, when he will battle Timofey Nastyukhin in the final quarterfinal bout of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/10/2019.