Last weekend Bellator MMA attempted to strengthen its position within the world of mixed martial arts when made its first foray into pay-per-view. Whenever there is a a debut in professional sports there’s a certain level of anticipation, but after the event concluded, the biggest talking points coming out of the Bellator 120 event dealt not with the action of the fights that took place, but the challenges created by the outcome of the co-main event.
Although the matchup between Will Brooks and Michael Chandler was not the card’s main event, the fight’s outcome has created the show’s biggest storyline. Heading into Bellator 120, the lightweight title picture only really included two fighters: Chandler and the promotion’s current 155-pound champion, Eddie Alvarez. Unfortunately, Alvarez was injured during training and forced off the card. That allowed Bellator’s Season 9 Lightweight Tournament winner, Brooks, to slide into the title fray. Not only did he show up for the fight on short notice, but he made the most of the situation by walking out with the interim lightweight title. His victory may have come in the form of a controversial split decision, but it’s a victory nonetheless, and one that has caused a variety of problems for the promotion and its CEO, Bjorn Rebney.that must be solved before anyone can move on.
On one hand sits Alvarez, who holds the “true” lightweight title. When the promotion first came into development, Alvarez was the company’s prized bull, as he dominated the company’s 155-pound weight class. However, after losing the strap to Chandler at Bellator 58, his relationship with the organization became shaky at best, and resulted in a lengthy court battle. The two sides would settle on a new contract that would lock Alvarez into a title shot against Chandler at Bellator 106, with a clause mandating an immediate rematch if he were to take the title. That clause is what causes the confusion now.
The question arising out of the rematch clause is whether Alvarez has to now defend the title against Will Brooks, or if his contract dictates that he still face Michael Chandler for a third time. Although the rivalry between Alvarez and Chandler is considered one of the best that MMA has ever seen, with Chandler’s defeat, the match doesn’t make much booking sense. That didn’t stop Rebney, however, from mentioning that potential trilogy fight during an interview on Sherdog Radio on Monday. If Bellator were to book that fight — granting a shot at the current champion to the man who just lost the interim title fight — that would certainly raise the eyebrows of those fans and media members who already question the validity of Bellator MMA’s business operations.
While pitting Brooks against Alvarez in a fight to unify the title seems like the more sensible option, Alvarez is also contractually promised one fight on pay-per-view. Though Alvarez-Brooks is an intriguing fight, it doesn’t carry the same luster that the third fight between Chandler and Alvarez would have brought to the Bellator 120 PPV. This would force the promotion to either heavily “stack” the event with the biggest names available in the promotion, or seek out other opportunities to put together big fights, which are few and far in between in MMA right now. Booking anything less than Eddie Alvarez on pay-per-view could throw the two parties right back into a legal battle.
The allure of controversy around a title in combat sports can create a high level of intrigue. However, Bellator MMA was much better served by Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez battling back and forth for the lightweight title, compared to the complication of contract clauses plus the addition of Will Brooks holding interim title gold. Bellator’s leadership team needs to show a strong presence to handle this problem before their first PPV event becomes their last.
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Bellator 120: Rampage vs. King Mo (formerly Bellator 120: Alvarez vs. Chandler III) takes place on May 17, 2014 at The Landers Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
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