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Not official yet but today, Bellator provided lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez with his release from the company. Now, he is free to negotiate with the UFC, where he is expected to sign and enter an already stacked lightweight division.
The UFC had sought to get Alvarez for a fight with Cowboy Cerrone for next month's UFC 178 but a deal with Bellator/Viacom could not be reached in time. Cerrone has since signed to fight Bobby Green on September 27.
EDIT----Alvarez vs. Cerrone is official for 178. Green taken off, hopefully with a bonus in his bank account.
Alvarez (25-3), 31 years old in January, is one of the best lightweights in the world and has been going back to 2008 or 2009. He has fought all over the world from New Jersey's Ring of Combat to BodogFight, Elite XC, DREAM and Bellator. He was a 2-time Bellator champion and held Bodog's welterweight title.
His fight with Michael Chandler in 2011 was one of the best fights in modern MMA and he avenged that loss last November when he defeated Chandler to win back the Bellator gold. In between, there was a long contractual fight with former boss Bjorn Rebney that led to court before an agreement was reached, leading to his November 2013 return. He was slated to fight Chandler again this past May but a late concussion sustained in training kept Alvarez from the fight. Chandler ended up losing to replacement Will Brooks, resulting in confusion because Alvarez's contract called for a third fight with Chandler.
Great news!
The UFC had sought to get Alvarez for a fight with Cowboy Cerrone for next month's UFC 178 but a deal with Bellator/Viacom could not be reached in time. Cerrone has since signed to fight Bobby Green on September 27.
EDIT----Alvarez vs. Cerrone is official for 178. Green taken off, hopefully with a bonus in his bank account.
Alvarez (25-3), 31 years old in January, is one of the best lightweights in the world and has been going back to 2008 or 2009. He has fought all over the world from New Jersey's Ring of Combat to BodogFight, Elite XC, DREAM and Bellator. He was a 2-time Bellator champion and held Bodog's welterweight title.
His fight with Michael Chandler in 2011 was one of the best fights in modern MMA and he avenged that loss last November when he defeated Chandler to win back the Bellator gold. In between, there was a long contractual fight with former boss Bjorn Rebney that led to court before an agreement was reached, leading to his November 2013 return. He was slated to fight Chandler again this past May but a late concussion sustained in training kept Alvarez from the fight. Chandler ended up losing to replacement Will Brooks, resulting in confusion because Alvarez's contract called for a third fight with Chandler.
Great news!
