Free agent Eddie Alvarez is one step closer to becoming a member of the UFC’s lightweight roster.
On Tuesday it was reported by SI’s Loretta Hunt that Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney had officially received the 45-page contract offer to Alvarez made by the UFC, and that Bellator would decide within the next two weeks whether to match the contract or not.
According to Rebney, Bellator has the capabilities to match the offer sheet despite the probable inclusion of ‘pay-per-view points,’ meaning that if Alvarez is in a PPV main or co-main event he would make an additional bonus based on the event’s buy rate. In fact, during an interview with Rebney in November at Casino Rama after Bellator 79, Rebney indicated that there were ways to compensate Alvarez for the lost PPV points, despite the fact that Bellator does not follow that model.
Regardless of the particulars, Rebney is now mulling over the offer sheet, and is deciding whether or not to keep Bellator’s biggest star in the promotional fold as it moves to SPIKE TV in 2013. Alvarez won the organization’s first-ever lightweight tournament and was their first lightweight champion, defending the title multiple times before losing to Michael Chandler in a 2011 “Fight of the Year Candidate” back at Bellator 58.
Since that loss to Chandler, Alvarez has bounced back with huge knockout wins over Shinya Aoki and Patricky “Pitbull” Freire. The problem has been that while Alvarez has desired a rematch with Chandler, Bellator’s format means that he must win an eight-man tournament in order to receive a title shot, which has been a sticking point in negotiations.
However, it was recently announced by Bellator that they would be changing their policy, and that if the fans want an immediate rematch of a title fight that was exciting, close, or controversial, the promotion now has the option of making it. That would seem to open up the door to an Alvarez/Chandler rematch, which would be arguably the biggest fight Bellator could make at the moment.
It makes more sense to have both Alvarez and Chandler on the roster as Bellator embarks on their journey into SPIKE TV. The question is, how much money did the UFC offer Alvarez, and is it worth it to Bellator to match?
My guess is Alvarez is being offered a pretty decent amount by the UFC, and matching it is going to be a tough choice for Bellator to make. But in my opinion, it would be worth it for them to match it, and keep their original star around.
As a fan, I would prefer Alvarez to be in the UFC since that’s where all the biggest fights are, but if Bellator was smart, they would keep Alvarez around, and not let him go over to the UFC and contend for a world title.
