Eddie Alvarez’s Bellator tenure could be winding down. The former lightweight champion has just one fight left on his deal, and then, free agency looms. But first things first, Alvarez has the final fight to get over with, and now he has a date and opponent.
Alvarez will face Patricky “Pitbull” Freire at a season seven event on October 12, the promotion’s CEO Bjorn Rebney announced on Monday.
Alvarez (23-3) was the first major signing by Bellator, inking a deal with the promotion soon after they formed in 2008. He won the lightweight belt in 2009 after mowing through the inaugural lightweight tournament field. He successfully defended the belt once before losing to Michael Chandler in a 2011 fight that became an instant classic.
Since then, he rebounded by beating Shinya Aoki in a first-round TKO at Bellator 66.
The Pitbull fight certainly carries some risk with it, as a loss would impact his stock as he considers a career move.
Freire is 10-3 in his career, and is 3-2 while in Bellator’s cage. He holds career wins over former WEC champion Rob McCullough and former UFC star Kurt Pellegrino.
The October 12 fight will take place at Caesers Windsor in Ontario, Canada.