Tag Archives: Eddie Alvarez

(Article) Eddie Alvarez vs Bellator

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alvarez vs rebney

Eddie Alvarez image by mmacarnivale.com

Bjorn Rebney image by sherdog.com

Mike Chiappetta, MMA Fighting: When Bjorn Rebney launched Bellator in 2008, Eddie Alvarez was his first big splash. Rebney gave the lightweight star a $100,000 signing bonus and made him a building block for the organization, and Alvarez took it from there, becoming a champion within it. The relationship between the two thrived to a point where the men built a friendship that transcended the employer-employee dynamic.
Within the last few days though, that bond has been at least partially fractured by a contract dispute that has led to dueling lawsuits and a cloudiness over Alvarez’s future.

The issue shortly after Bellator waived its exclusive negotiating period, allowing Alvarez to take his talents to the open market. As expected, the UFC approached Alvarez about a deal that would bring his talents to its octagon, and Alvarez quickly signed an offer sheet. Under the terms of a clause in his Bellator contract, that promotion had a right to match the UFC offer, and that’s where things get murky.

According to Alvarez in a Monday interview on The MMA Hour, Bellator didn’t match the deal. Speaking metaphorically to avoid exact contract language, he likened the UFC’s deal to “fine dining” and Bellator’s to “McDonald’s,” saying all dinners are not created equal.

Rebney vehemently disagrees. In fact, he told MMA Fighting in a Monday interview, Bellator’s matching offer was literally a mirror image of the contract the UFC offered Alvarez.

“I will tell you point blank, no questions asked, we matched it dollar for dollar, term for term and section for section,” he said. “To avoid any kind of ambiguity, let me make clear, we took the UFC contract, we took it out of the PDF format, we changed the name ‘UFC’ to ‘Bellator’ and we signed it. We didn’t alter a word, we didn’t alter a phrase, we didn’t alter a section, we didn’t alter a dollar figure.”

Then how can it be that such a discrepancy between the two sides would arise? As far as Rebney can tell, Alvarez’s issue comes from the projected dollar figures he could earn from the UFC’s pay-per-view bonus structure.

“Could” is the operative word there, as according to Rebney, that pay-per-view money in the UFC offer to Alvarez is nothing more than a hypothetical.

“There is no guaranteed pay-per-view in the UFC offer to Eddie Alvarez,” he says emphatically. “We as Bellator don’t have to match projections. We don’t have to match what could conceptually happen. We have to match guaranteed dollars and what the UFC contractually guaranteed would occur. That is what we are held to.”

Despite that, Rebney said that Alvarez’s pay-per-view stake was matched anyway, under the belief that Bellator could move into the pay-per-view market with the right fight, for example, a rematch of the notable 2011 bout between Alvarez and Michael Chandler.

The main bullet points of the 40-page UFC offer to Alvarez was a $250,000 signing bonus and a $70,000 fight purse with a $70,000 win bonus for his first fight, with salaries escalating over the life of the deal. The contract was to cover a span of 40 months or eight fights, whichever occurred earlier.

When Alvarez first went out on the open market, Rebney originally feared his deal would be closer in line with that of Hector Lombard, which would make it financially unviable. But when he saw the final terms, he felt it would be possible to monetize Alvarez in a way that made it reachable, and matched the terms.

In a phone call from Rebney to Alvarez last week, Rebney said that he told Alvarez that addition to matching the terms, the promotion would also promise to feature him in Spike-aired television specials that would also generate income for him. Rebney said that at the time, Alvarez seemed receptive to the idea of returning to Bellator.

“We have a quarter-of-a-million dollar check sitting and waiting to be sent to Ed and are ready to be scheduling bouts immediately,” he said.

But in a follow-up telephone call later in the week to discuss the contract situation, things changed. Rebney said he got an uneasy feeling when Alvarez came on to the call with six attorneys.

Within 30 minutes of the call’s completion, according to Rebney, both sides had filed suit against each other. Rebney said he’s since offered to fly Alvarez and his family to the promotion’s California offices to resolve the situation but was rebuffed.

The next step in the away-from-the-cage drama is anyone’s guess. The wheels of justice grind slowly, and Alvarez, who turns 29 years old on Friday, said on The MMA Hour that he’d be open to some kind of settlement in hopes of avoiding a drawn-out legal process.

Rebney believes the relationship with Alvarez can be mended as long as Alvarez comes to understand that Bellator did match the terms of the contract he was offered by Zuffa. After all, in his estimation, he’s paid Alvarez about $900,000 in over the course of his time in Bellator, and is poised to do even better in the coming years regardless of which promotion ends up with his services.

“Ed and I have four years of a good working relationship and about 30 days of not a good relationship,” he said. “When you weigh those factors out, there’s a very high likelihood we could shake hands and get past it with a fair amount of ease. Ed’s in business and as you can see from the numbers, it can be a very lucrative business. I know I can shove off and move forward, put things back in line in short order. I hope Ed can do the same. It may be a long, drawn out fight between the two or something that can be settled relatively quickly. We’ll see.”

The fighters react:

First, UFC Lightweight champion Ben Henderson isn’t thrilled about being paid less than a newly signed fighter:

I get 39k RT @molesymma: Something i just realised. UFC LW champ @bensonhenderson gets 30k to show, 30k to win. UFC offered Alvarez 75k n 75k

— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) January 8, 2013

Not in a good mood, go suck an egg RT @dflores315: @gilbertmelendez gonna smash @bensonhenderson. That’s why Bendo hyping Alverez situation

— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) January 8, 2013

Light Heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes thinks Eddie should have waited out the matching period altogether like he did when leaving M-1:

@arielhelwani @digitalstudio5a I heard their matching period is a little longer, but still, it seems like it’d have been a better option.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) January 8, 2013

And Middleweight Derek Brunson and Lightweight Pat Healy give voice to complaints many MMA fans have about the situation:

Eddie Alvarez being sued by a million dollar company makes me sick ! Someone needs to be held responsible for infringing on others !

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 7, 2013

Will anyone ever want to sign with Bellator other than a last resort after seeing the way they treat guys like @ealvarezfight and @tysonnam?

— Patrick Healy (@BamBamHealy) January 8, 2013

Tyson Nam, who’s just getting past his own legal altercation with Bellator, offers his support as well as a helping hand from his attorney.

Hang in there @ealvarezfight Hoping for the best in the end!

— Tyson Nam (@TysonNam) January 8, 2013

@ealvarezfight I will have an email out to your counsel tonight. It’s a similar issue.Stay strong. It’s a stressful time. It will pass.

— Andrew Vecere (@AndrewVecere) January 8, 2013

Eddie Alvarez says:

“Everyone’s heard that Bellator has match and whatnot,” said Eddie Alvarez. “it’s a difficult situation. We went to settlement a couple days ago. We had a settlement meeting where everything was supposed to get worked out. I was sued maybe 30 minutes after that. There’s a lot of tension in the air.

“We don’t believe it was matched at all. I wanted to give details but I can’t because we’re in the middle of a pending lawsuit. If I want to go to dinner with one guy and another guy asked me to dinner. If the attention of one guy is to take me to a fine dining restaurant and the other guy wants to take me to McDonald’s, guy #2 just thinks dinner’s dinner.

“They’re going to the media and saying they matched the offer, but in our opinion they didn’t match at all. The terms are not the same.

“If this goes in front of anyone in court, they’re going to see that this is not a match. The truth is this is disappointing. I gave a lot to Bellator and I don’t get much back in return.

“If it was a match I’d be more than happy to honor the contract. I would have no problem going to fight for Bellator. I’d love to fight the Ben Henderson’s and Gil Melendez’s. The issues has to do with being fair. The contract says at the end we get to match this contract. I said yes to that four years ago. In our eyes it is not a match. This is the difference of a lot of money.

“It’s up to the court now, man. I’m being sued. it’s going up before a judge. I think it will become very clear

“it wasn’t a Hector Lombard deal, but it was a good deal. And I consider a much bettor deal than what Bellator’s offering.

“Tried to make an offer to make it fair. We offered a number, it was less than projected UFC offer. The conversation was over in less tha a minute, like “No way”. It wasn’t a half hour after that that I had a lawsuit.

“This has been most violent, most tactical, most heartless battle I have ever been in and I don’t have gloves or a mouthpiece in.“

“This is not the first time I have been threatened by Bellator with a lawsuit.“

“This is the worst fight I’ve ever been in. It’s been the most tactical, heartless fight I’ve ever been in”

 

Bellator 58 results: Chandler blasts Alvarez in thriller to earn lightweight crown

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by Derek Bolender

mmajunkie.com

If you didn’t see it, you missed one of the best fights of 2011.

Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez put together more than 18 minutes’ worth of back-and-forth action that left no fan still sitting in his seat.

When it was all said and done, a bloodied and swollen Chandler had earned the right to be called the new Bellator lightweight champion.

The thrilling affair headlined Saturday’s Bellator 58 event, which took place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card aired on MTV2 (and in high-definition on EPIX) while preliminary fights streamed live on MMAjunkie.com and Spike.com.

Chandler took control from the opening bell with a lead left hook, followed by a flurry that dropped Alvarez against the cage. They soon were off to the races.

Alvarez countered with a right of his own that stopped Chandler in his tracks before he secured a takedown. Somehow Alvarez managed to clear his head and recover from the early onslaught.

The pair continued to trade strikes until late in the round, when Chandler landed a thudding right hand that dropped Alvarez once again as the round concluded. The defending champion was battered, but he wouldn’t go away.

Round two was close enough that it could have been scored either way. Both fighters were able to land punches and kicks on the feet, and they essentially canceled each other out in the grappling department.

The momentum began to switch to Alvarez in the third as Chandler began to slow a bit. Alvarez – armed with a double jab, left hook, and fadeaway straight right – got the better of Chandler on the feet. He also was able to nullify his opponent’s takedown attempts.

Alvarez remained the fresher fighter heading into the fourth round, and it was the first time Chandler had ever been past three rounds in his career.

A double jab and sprawl from Alvarez started off the round in his favor. Then it turned again in another exchange.

Chandler landed two big looping right hands on Alvarez’s chin that staggered him. Chandler pounced on him looking to land ground and pound to finish the fight. He then worked his way into full mount. Alvarez rolled over trying to find a way to escape, and Chandler secured the rear-naked choke and forced the tap.

“Over a year ago, I told you I was going to be standing here,” Chandler told Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith during the post-fight interview.

It’s quite an accomplishment for Chandler, who began competing professionally just two years ago.

Bellator CEO and chairman Bjorn Rebney was blown away by what he saw transpire.

“That’s the best fight I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Mike Chandler, you just beat the best lightweight in the world.”

In capturing the title, Chandler (9-0 MMA, 6-0 BFC) extends his unbeaten streak to nine overall. Meanwhile, Alvarez (22-3 MMA, 6-1 BFC) loses for just the second time ever as a lightweight.

Lombard extends unbeaten streak to 25 with dominating win

In non-title action, Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard did what he usually does: finish his opponents in brutal fashion.

In the first round, Prangley was able to weather the storm. The majority of the round was relatively action-free; however, there was plenty of dirty boxing that followed wild flurries from Lombard. Prangley was able to get a takedown after one of the flurries, but he wasn’t able to keep him Lombard on his back. The body and low kicks were icing on the cake for Lombard.

Straying true to form, the American Top Team product landed a big right hand on Prangley’s chin as he came forward in the second round. The punch staggered Prangley, and he immediately dove for a leg.

Some vicious ground and pound put the nail in the coffin before the referee waved off the fight for good.

Lombard now will defend his belt against season-five middleweight tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko (in a rematch) in 2012.

Lombard (31-2-1 MMA, 8-0 BFC) extends his unbeaten streak to eight in Bellator while Prangley (33-9-1 MMA, 0-1 BFC) loses for the ninth time in his long career.

Aguilar dishes out punishment, gets long awaited revenge

Jessica Aguilar’s right hand dictated the opening frame of the rematch with Lisa Ellis-Ward.

Ellis-Ward defeated Aguilar by submission in Aguilar’s professional debut in February 2006. But in the rematch, Aguilar was able to land straight and overhand right punches to the head to kick off the action.

Ellis was content staying at range and landing a variety of kicks and keeping Aguilar on her toes. As the longer fighter, she also tried to establish her jab, which was consistently being countered over the top by Aguilar.

Round two began with Ellis looking to move forward and press the action, and it was punctuated by Aguilar landing big ground-and-pound strikes from her guard. On multiple occasions, Aguilar was able to counter Ellis-Ward’s low kicks with right hands early in the frame. Aguilar sat down on her punches and settled in looking to counter. Ellis attempted a flying knee at one point, slipped, and paid for it by eating ground-and-pound strikes. Then she endured a few clinch knees as the pair stood. Another outside trip takedown from Aguilar and more ground and pound secured the round.

The final stanza started with more of the same as Aguilar was still consistently landing the harder, cleaner strikes on the feet. A late flurry and kimura attempt from Ellis-Ward against a tired and bloodied Aguilar proved to be too little, too late.

In the post-fight interview, Aguilar called out Japanese standout Megumi Fujii.

With the win, Aguilar (12-4 MMA, 3-1 BFC) has now tasted victory in seven of her past eight contests. Ellis-Ward (14-7 MMA, 2-2 BFC), on the other hand, drops to an even .500 with the promotion.

Knockout artist Sandro rebounds with rare submission win

From the outset, Rafael Dias wanted no part of the standup exchanges with power puncher Marlon Sandro. He was content on his bicycle trying to avoid power shots. That was until he landed the best punch of the fight.

A wild left-hook, straight-right combination missed from Sandro as he moved forward. It threw him off balance, and Dias countered with a left hook of his own that dropped the Nova Uniao product.

However, Sandro recovered quickly, secured a body lock, and took down Dias. Eventually, Dias was able to work his way back up to his feet using the cage. Sandro briefly got him down again, but Dias popped right back up.

Sandro then locked in a standing arm-triangle choke while blood poured out of Dias’ nose.

After securing the submission hold, Sandro took the fight to the ground, tightened up the choke, and Dias was forced to tap.

Sandro (20-3 MMA, 3-1 BFC) is back in the win column following his recent loss to featherweight champion Pat Curran. Meanwhile, Dias (15-9-2 MMA, 0-1 BFC) drops his first fight since September 2010.