The main event of Bellator 106 wasn’t just one of the best fights to occur outside of the Octagon, but it was one of the most intriguing MMA contests of the year. The decision was very close, but Eddie Alvarez was able to pull out the win, becoming the first two-time lightweight champion in Bellator MMA history. In looking at the drama that led into this hotly contested fight, there are clear winners and losers beyond just the fact of who hand his hand raised.
Winner #1: Eddie Alvarez
Although total payout numbers will not be released, Eddie Alvarez reportedly earned $160,000 from Bellator for his victory. This doesn’t include any payouts that may have come in the form of sponsorships. With this win, he’s guaranteed at least one more payday that will match his “show money” amount of $80,000. Alvarez has made no bones about letting the world know that he’s a prizefighter looking to make the most money with his talents. Being paid out that much places him among the highest paid in the sport.
His win also gives him the opportunity to defeat Michael Chandler again, which would increase his value in free agency even more so than it was in 2012. It’s a gamble though, because anything can happen in the world of professional sports. If he loses the rubber match with Chandler, then Alvarez’s overall value as a free agent will drop, but at this point, he’s winning the fight to get paid what he feels that he’s worth.
Winner #2: Fight Fans
The narrative after the 2011 matchup between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler was that this was one of the greatest fights to happen that year. Nearly two years later, they delivered another classic which will be considered one of the best fights in 2013. The best news of the night is that they will do it again some time in 2014. That gives fight fans the opportunity to see two of the best lightweights in the sport compete once again for a championship.
Loser: Michael Chandler
Chandler losing his title in such a controversial fashion may be one of the toughest situations he’s faced in his young career. However, he lost more than a title belt when John McCarthy raised Alvarez’s hand in the cage on Saturday. Chandler was being groomed to be the face of Bellator MMA, and with his appearance in various commercials, publications, and at special events, he was fulfilling that role successfully. Without the title, it will be interesting to see if Bellator continues to promote him in the same fashion especially if he is unable to regain the belt the third time he faces Alvarez. His overall value to the company was seriously damaged at the end of Saturday night’s main event.
Verdict Remains Out: Bellator MMA
While Dana White took to his Twitter account to mock Bjorn Rebney for the outcome of the main event, it is still to early to determine if Bellator has received its fair share of “karma.”
On one side, Bellator has the opportunity to get to build up the rubber match between Alvarez and Chandler, a fight that if it is promoted in the right fashion and with a solid card around it, could be the promotion’s entranceway into the world of pay-per-view. This is the premier match that the promotion has to offer, and it is just as good as any lightweight fight that the UFC could put together. That makes it a solid win for the #2 MMA promotion in the world.
However, the other side of the argument is that it could end up being a loss for the promotion as a whole. If Chandler is unable to regain the title, and Alvarez walks away to another promotion while still holding it, that really undermines the legitimacy of the roster, especially on the heels of Ben Askren likely walking away from the promotion while still holding Bellator’s welterweight title. The promotion could not stand to lose another champion, and this time they won’t be able to put up the legal battle that they did the first time Alvarez attempted to leave the promotion.
Beyond the outcome of the Bellator 106 main event, at the end of the night, there were winners and losers. Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler put a lot on the line, but the full effect of their war on the future of the sport remains to be seen.
• Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez (LW Championship): Eddie Alvarez def. Michael Chandler via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47).
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Bellator 106: Chandler vs. Alvarez II took place on November 2, 2013 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California.
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