Eddie Alvarez has been released out into the wild by Bellator Fighting Championships.
Although Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney could’ve tied up his former lightweight champion for a full 90-day negotiation period, Alvarez has apparently requested for an early release. Now, one of the most-wanted free agents in MMA is able to entertain offers from anyone he chooses.
MMA Mania reports that Alvarez recently told MMAInterviews.TV that he’s going to let interested employers come to him, and nothing’s lined up yet:
Bjorn Rebney was gracious enough to give us our release papers early, earlier than what we were contractually to get, he gave it to us Friday. So we’re going to try to move it along as fast as possible for myself and for Bellator. We’ll see. Nothing’s set in stone and I’m just waiting to see what happens, letting the management and letting the promotions do their job now.
UFC president Dana White has given hints that he would like to see Alvarez in the Octagon, messaging him on Twitter following Alvarez’s win over Patricky Freire at Bellator 76.
Moreover, the UFC will likely be able to offer more money than Bellator, ONE FC and recently debuted promotion World Series of Fighting.
According to MMA Fighting, the UFC spent roughly $700,000—a $400,000 signing bonus plus $300,000 per fight—to lure away Bellator‘s former middleweight champion, Hector Lombard.
Alvarez is currently ranked as a top-10 lightweight by several MMA publications and hosts a 24-3 record with 21 wins by stoppage. He’s also 9-1 in his last 10 fights with his only career losses coming against current Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, Japanese legend Shinya Aoki and former Bodog Fight welterweight champion Nick Thompson.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com