Time away has been a blessing and a curse for Alvarez

"One thing I learned about fighting very early on is there're crazy highs and lows," said Alvarez. "I always say this to everyone: this is always been a

Eddie Alvarez will take on Michael Chandler on Saturday in a rematch of their 2011 classic :: Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images

"One thing I learned about fighting very early on is there're crazy highs and lows," said Alvarez. "I always say this to everyone: this is always been a marathon for me, not a sprint. This is a quest to become more than just the best fighter in the world. It's a quest to be a good human being and to teach my kids and myself more about life and more about myself. This is a journey for me. This has been one of the lows, but I've found that they're usually followed by one of the crazy highs."