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Bellator Mma Counters Ufc's Offer For Former Champion Eddie Alvarez

2K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  OU 
#1 ·
Bellator MMA has officially tendered a contract offer to its former lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez (24-3 MMA, 8-1 BFC).

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today learned from multiple industry sources that Bellator executives have issued an offer to Alvarez to match the deal he recently received from the UFC. The move is an effort by Bellator to retain the rights to the star 155-pounder, whose contract with the promotion expired following an October win over Patricky "Pitbull" Freire but who remained in an exclusive matching period with the tournament-based organization.

The revelation comes on the heels of UFC President Dana White's recent statement that he expected negotiations with Alvarez to "get ugly." In perhaps a nod to White's prediction, requests for statements by the UFC, Bellator and Alvarez's management team at Authentic Sports Management were all declined.

An official announcement isn't expected to be made until a legal review of both contracts is complete. Multiple sources indicated Bellator's offer was made "in good faith" and appears on the surface to match the deal previously offered by the UFC. However, it does not appear Alvarez has yet accepted Bellator's contract offer and may be seeking clarification on contract language in each of the two deals. Chief among those concerns will likely be whether or not Alvarez has the right to sign with another promotion while still operating inside of Bellator's matching period.

Alvarez long has been considered one of the top lightweights not in the UFC. This past April, Alvarez avenged one of only three losses on his record when he stopped Shinya Aoki with punches in the first round. And in October, in what may or may not prove to be his final Bellator fight, he stopped Freire with a head-kick knockout late in the first round. Alvarez's resume also includes wins over current Bellator featherweight champ Pat Curran in the lone defense of his Bellator lightweight title, as well as Roger Huerta, Josh Neer and Joachim Hansen.

In 2012, the UFC was able to sign former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard to a deal Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney claimed included a signing bonus and was worth a minimum of $700,000 for the American Top Team fighter's first UFC appearance. Many MMA pundits expected Alvarez to also migrate to the octagon with the assumption that Bellator, despite moving to Spike TV, would not be able to offer a financial package level with that of the UFC.

As Rebney explained, it would all come down to dollars and sense.

"It really becomes for us a mathematical analysis," Rebney said. "We know where we would want to be with Ed, we know what kind of a deal structure would work for Bellator and our partners at Spike TV, and we're just waiting.

"We'd like to keep him, but it will all boil down to the numbers."

For now, it appears those numbers suit Bellator just fine.

Bellator's first live event of 2013 takes place on Jan. 17 and features current lightweight champ Michael Chandler facing top contender Rick Hawn, as well as featherweight champ Pat Curran vs. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. The event takes place at Bren Center in Irvine, Calif., and marks the company's first broadcast on its new broadcast home of Spike TV.

For the latest on the UFC and Bellator's upcoming schedules, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
Feels good, man.
 
#3 ·
In the end Eddie has to just sign with the UFC and earn more through bonus and sponsorship. He can hold out for more back and forth, but in the end just sign with the UFC.

Bellator could get him and Chandler in there again and if Chandler wins again, they could bury Eddie's value and create a bigger prospect in Chandler. Even with that first win people don't know who Chandler is still.

In the end I think Eddie is at his highest value right now. I think he loses to most of the top 10 UFC LWs and potentially Chandler a 2nd time. Melendez would most likely beat him.
 
#4 ·
In the end Eddie has to just sign with the UFC and earn more through bonus and sponsorship. He can hold out for more back and forth, but in the end just sign with the UFC.
In that case why should the ufc( a multi billion dollar company) bother to pay any of their fighters?
They can just tell them to find some sponsors and fight for free in the ufc.
Not to mention the fact that the ufc also steals money from the sponsors that pay the fighters.
ALL HAIL SLAVERY.
 
#5 ·
I'm mixed on this. Alvarez is my favorite fighter that's not in the UFC and I'd love him there. On the other hand, I don't really watch MMA outside of the UFC, and I feel like Alvarez being there would make me more interested in Bellator. I just hope he ends up where he wants to be.
 
#8 ·
Eddie deserves to be in the organization that will know his worth and financially compensate him the most so that he can take care of his family. Hopefully he gets the most money possible..
 
#11 ·
Lol, you have to easily be the biggest idiot here.

Who is all over Dana's nuts? Because I saw he should go to the UFC while the iron is hot that means I am all over Dana White's nuts? Ok then.

He loses in Bellator he will never have the value he has now . But I guess you can't comprehend that.
 
#13 ·
He did lose in Bellator but it was a FOTY candidate and to a guy whose a beast in his own right, didn't hurt his standing at all.
 
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