Following the UFC 155 weigh-ins, Dana White informed media members that getting Eddie Alvarez into the UFC was “going to get ugly.” Earlier in December, the UFC extended an offer to Alvarez which Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said he and his partners would take time to review. It came out Wednesday that Bellator decided to match the UFC’s offer in order to hold on to their former Lightweight champion.
Now it’s up to the UFC’s and Bellator’s respective legal teams to battle out exactly what “matching” means, while Alvarez sits on the sidelines. And Eddie doesn’t seem to be taking well:
It’s unfortunate for Alvarez that in the midst of his prime he’ll be forced to sit out of competition while this is resolved. However, the matching period is a part of the contract he signed with Bellator, so this was always a possibility. His only other option would have been to follow Vinny Magalhaes’ example. In 2012, Vinny sat out for six months to avoid these same complications with M-1.
What does Bloody Elbow think? Should Rebney let Alvarez seek the greener pastures of the UFC or should they do everything in their power to retain a star they helped build? Let me know in the comments.
HT: BE member Tim Bernier