Many feared it would never materialize, but—once he settled his differences with Bellator MMA—Eddie Alvarez all but finalized his highly anticipated rematch with lightweight linchpin Michael Chandler.
The rematch will go down at Bellator MM…
Many feared it would never materialize, but—once he settled his differences with BellatorMMA—Eddie Alvarez all but finalized his highly anticipated rematch with lightweight linchpin Michael Chandler.
The rematch will go down at Bellator MMA’s first pay-per-view event (Bellator 106) on Nov. 2, nearly two years removed from Chandler’s epic win over former champ Alvarez at Bellator 58.
In the first installment of this 155-pound rivalry, Alvarez got dropped twice in Round 1 only to bounce back with an offensive assault in Round 3 that nearly finished an ever-resilient Chandler.
Although both men seemed fresh heading into the fourth, Chandler dropped Alvarez midway through the round, took his back and then cinched up a fight-ending rear-naked choke to take the belt in just his ninth fight.
Because of the thrilling back-and-forth nature of the bout,Yahoo! Sports named it the 2011 “Fight of the Year.”
Since their unforgettable showdown, Chandler and Alvarez have gone a combined 5-0 with five finishes in Bellator MMA.
Here’s a head-to-toe breakdown of what will be the most hyped rematch in Bellator MMA history.
(As part of their co-promotional agreement with Viacom, Alvarez and Chandler will also appear in a tag-team match against the Nasty Boys. / Photo via Getty)
Maybe it’s not the best-case scenario for Eddie, but at least he’ll be competing and earning money again, for the first time since last October. As he explained to MMAJunkie:
“I couldn’t be happier right now. We’ve been trying to settle since the very beginning of this. [Ed. note: O RLY?] We were able to compromise and put it behind us. I’m happy to put my name on the dotted line and move forward with my career…I’m not big on problems. I normally just deal with solutions. In business, there are problems just like a relationship. There’s good, there’s bad, and there’s ugly. You need to be able to compromise and not deal with problems.”
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney wouldn’t disclose terms of the settlement, but stated that his promotion was able to find “a common ground” with Alvarez. Rebney also mentioned that there will be more big-name additions to the 11/2 card.
And so, Bellator’s first pay-per-view gets a pay-per-view-caliber fight, and Eddie Alvarez likely ends up with a new contract that was considerably better than his old one. (Competition is never a bad thing in the fight game.) But can Alvarez stay competitive in the rematch, after a year-long layoff? Check out video of Alvarez vs. Chandler 1 after the jump, and let us know what you think…
(As part of their co-promotional agreement with Viacom, Alvarez and Chandler will also appear in a tag-team match against the Nasty Boys. / Photo via Getty)
Maybe it’s not the best-case scenario for Eddie, but at least he’ll be competing and earning money again, for the first time since last October. As he explained to MMAJunkie:
“I couldn’t be happier right now. We’ve been trying to settle since the very beginning of this. [Ed. note: O RLY?] We were able to compromise and put it behind us. I’m happy to put my name on the dotted line and move forward with my career…I’m not big on problems. I normally just deal with solutions. In business, there are problems just like a relationship. There’s good, there’s bad, and there’s ugly. You need to be able to compromise and not deal with problems.”
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney wouldn’t disclose terms of the settlement, but stated that his promotion was able to find “a common ground” with Alvarez. Rebney also mentioned that there will be more big-name additions to the 11/2 card.
And so, Bellator’s first pay-per-view gets a pay-per-view-caliber fight, and Eddie Alvarez likely ends up with a new contract that was considerably better than his old one. (Competition is never a bad thing in the fight game.) But can Alvarez stay competitive in the rematch, after a year-long layoff? Check out video of Alvarez vs. Chandler 1 after the jump, and let us know what you think…
(Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler, Bellator 58, 11/19/11)
Less than a week away from his next title defense, Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has signed a lucrative new eight-fight, multi-year deal with the promotion.
While terms of the new contract weren’t disclosed, Chandler and Bellator CEO B…
Less than a week away from his next title defense, Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has signed a lucrative new eight-fight, multi-year deal with the promotion.
While terms of the new contract weren’t disclosed, Chandler and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney were both very happy with the final terms of the deal.
Chandler cut his teeth in the Bellator cage, debuting with the promotion after only three professional fights. The early gamble on an unknown fighter paid off as Chandler went on to win the lightweight tournament before putting on one of the greatest fights in MMA history against Eddie Alvarez to win the title in 2011.
Since that time, Chandler has gone 2-0 while looking more impressive with each fight. Now with a new contract in place he can defend his belt knowing that he is a cornerstone to the foundation that Bellator hopes to build along with their new relationship with Spike TV.
“It means a lot to the organization,” Rebney said when speaking to Bleacher Report about the deal. “I think Michael Chandler really represents what this Bellator brand is all about. He’s a guy we signed, thought he had amazing potential, unbelievable raw athletic talent, an incredible background in wrestling and we said this is a guy who could become a champion.
“Outside of the cage, Michael is as powerful and prolific a figure and as positive a figure as I believe we’ve got in MMA. It made a ton of sense. We had a fair amount of time left on our deal with Michael, and he’s so far exceeded our expectations and elevated himself to such a world class level that it seemed like the right and fair thing to do.”
Chandler echoed those feelings and added to it by saying that he wanted to stick by the promotion that stuck by him during the earliest parts of his career. Now with a very hefty contract to back up Bellator‘s promises, Chandler is elated for what comes next.
“It makes me feel good, it makes me feel like I’m continuing to improve not just as a fighter, but as a person. Somebody with a huge brand like Bellator under an even huger brand like Viacom, to have them put their faith in me, to put me in so many things, to put me in commercials, send me to all these events, and just to continue to put me in the cage with great talent, it’s great,” Chandler stated. “It’s a win-win for both of us. For me as well as Bellator, we’re both happy with it, and just excited about the future.”
Bellator is no stranger to having its name in the headlines for contract negotiations with champions or past champions over the last few years. Former middleweight titleholder Hector Lombard jumped ship on Bellator when he became a free agent to sign with the UFC (since that time he’s gone 1-2 there).
Most infamously, Bellator has gone to battle with former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez over matching contract terms after he was offered a multi-fight deal with the UFC. The two parties are still awaiting a day in court to settle the matter, and that won’t come until well into 2014.
Bellator had no desire to see that same scenario unravel with Chandler, who is not only one of the highest ranking champions under the company banner, but in many ways is becoming the face of the promotion. If he had become a free agent, it’s likely Chandler would have been one of the most sought after names from promotions like the UFC.
Now, he will be a Bellator fighter for years to come.
“It was a good thing for this company and for Michael to sit down with him and say we want to make a long term commitment to you,” Rebney explained. “We want you to be part of the Bellator brand and part of the Bellator family for years to come. We want to make you one of the highest paid lightweights in all of MMA and we want you to be here with us. We want you to establish yourself as the undisputed No. 1 lightweight in the world with us. It just made sense across every conceivable spectrum. We’re happy, these are checks that we’ll be writing that I’ll have a big smile across my face as I sign the checks.”
Rebney wouldn’t say exactly how much the contract will pay Chandler, but he did disclose that it’s one of the largest in promotion history.
Chandler’s career trajectory is only going up, and Rebney plans on keeping the champion busy inside and outside the cage with fights to build his reputation and sponsorships, commercials and televisions spots to build his own brand.
“We’re finally in a position now where we can keep a fighter like Michael Chandler, who I believe is the best lightweight in the world, very busy,” Rebney said. “Mike’s going to fight for us in a week live and free on Spike against Dave Rickels, and then he’s going to fight again in the fall, and then he’s going to fight again for us in the winter period. There’s going to be a lot of frequency, we’re going to keep him very busy. There’s a lot of other pieces to this.
“The thing that makes that all happen is Michael Chandler inside the cage, performing at that (Michael) Jordan-esque level and performing inside the Bellator cage. That’s what makes it all turn. You’re going to see growth over the next few years.”
Chandler says he couldn’t be happier with Bellator and the new deal he just inked. As much as any fighter wants to say it’s all about competition and being the best in the world there is always going to be a financial component to the sport that has to play a role in decision making.
Chandler admits he’s not above that either, but now with a new contract in place he can just keep his eye on the ultimate prize—becoming the best 155-pound fighter in MMA.
“I’ve always said the most important thing is the fight, but as I’m 27 years old now, I want to be married, I want to be able to provide for my future wife and future kids. Financial freedom is very important to me because when that kind of stuff is taken care of, I can just focus on fighting,” Chandler said. “I can focus on what I was put in this sport to do and that’s train everyday to become the best lightweight in the world.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
The process of creating a mixed martial arts countdown is like writing a recognition speech; you will inevitably leave someone out and anger others. But after watching Leslie Smith and Jennifer Maia put on one of the finest brawls in MMA history this p…
The process of creating a mixed martial arts countdown is like writing a recognition speech; you will inevitably leave someone out and anger others. But after watching Leslie Smith and Jennifer Maia put on one of the finest brawls in MMA history this past Saturday at Invicta 6, one feels compelled to recall the best brawls of all time.
Webster’s Dictionary simply defines “brawl” as “a rough or noisy fight or quarrel.” However, fans who have witnessed countless brawls know these fights are anything but simple. They are a primal explosion of hypnotizing violence, an hysterical hurricane of testosterone which permeates an adrenaline rush throughout a stadium or through a television. And what they lack in precise technical showmanship, they make up for with an indelible display of pure heart and courage.
Every fight fan has their favorite, so let’s see which ones made the countdown.
(Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail. Images via Bellator.com)
Eddie Alvarez‘s attempt to pursue better opportunities in the UFC is having a disastrous effect on the former Bellator lightweight champion career. To recap: After Alvarez’s contract with Bellator expired, the UFC sent him a juicy offer that included a $250,000 signing bonus, a percentage of pay-per-view revenue, and the potential to be promoted on a future FOX card. Bellator “matched” it by simply copying the exact terms of the deal — which Alvarez didn’t appreciate, considering that Bellator doesn’t run pay-per-shows or broadcast their fights on network television.
The two sides have been engaged in a knotty legal battle since January over whether Alvarez is obligated to accept that deal. Unfortunately, time continues to tick away on Alvarez’s prime competitive years — the 29-year-old hasn’t competed since his first-round KO of Patricky Freire last October — and the case might not be settled for a long, long time. As MMAJunkie reports:
According to documents filed Monday in U.S. district court, the two parties aren’t required to see each other in court until after Sept. 15, 2014, when a pre-trial conference may take place.
That means it could be near the end of 2014 before a jury gets involved, unless a settlement takes place…
(Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail. Images via Bellator.com)
Eddie Alvarez‘s attempt to pursue better opportunities in the UFC is having a disastrous effect on the former Bellator lightweight champion career. To recap: After Alvarez’s contract with Bellator expired, the UFC sent him a juicy offer that included a $250,000 signing bonus, a percentage of pay-per-view revenue, and the potential to be promoted on a future FOX card. Bellator “matched” it by simply copying the exact terms of the deal — which Alvarez didn’t appreciate, considering that Bellator doesn’t run pay-per-shows or broadcast their fights on network television.
The two sides have been engaged in a knotty legal battle since January over whether Alvarez is obligated to accept that deal. Unfortunately, time continues to tick away on Alvarez’s prime competitive years — the 29-year-old hasn’t competed since his first-round KO of Patricky Freire last October — and the case might not be settled for a long, long time. As MMAJunkie reports:
According to documents filed Monday in U.S. district court, the two parties aren’t required to see each other in court until after Sept. 15, 2014, when a pre-trial conference may take place.
That means it could be near the end of 2014 before a jury gets involved, unless a settlement takes place…
Attorneys for Alvarez and Bellator outlined a plan for moving forward with the case, which calls for the discovery portion to be completed by Feb. 28, 2014 and depositions, or out-of-court testimony, by July 28. The two may add parties to the case by Oct. 15 of this year.
Discovery is a pre-trial phase where parties obtain evidence, which may include documents, depositions or requests for an opposing party to admit or deny allegations.
Earlier this month, Alvarez and Bellator also signed off on a confidentiality agreement, which means only their respective lawyers will be privy to evidence gathered until the trial.
For the record, Alvarez has no intention of settling before trial, and might be showing up in some underground Miami pit-fights just to make some cash and stay sharp. Luckily, he should be able to compete somewhere by 2015, which is right around the corner. Eddie will be a youngish 31 years old, and the Cyborg Overlords will still allow human beings to beat each other in cages for their entertainment — at least, the human beings who weren’t wiped out by The Disaster. (I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it gets pretty awful around here. I’m writing this from the future, by the way, in a cave near the earth’s core, where it’s still warm.)
I know neither side wants to crack in this legal battle, but Bellator needs to start thinking about what a victory would look like for them. A marquee fighter who is forced to work for the company that essentially ruined his life? And you think everything’s just going to go back to normal? Bellator wants to make a stand to prove that it can’t just be raided by the UFC every time it has an asset worth taking. But it might be better for Bellator’s public image — and the sport as a whole — if they just let this one go.
(Well, it’s safe to assume that Alvarez’s new training camp is off to a rough start.)
Lightweight Eddie Alvarez was a busy man on Twitter yesterday. Last October, Alvarez completed his final contracted fight for the Bellator organization and became a limited free agent. Emphasis on limited.
Almost immediately after said fight, the UFC made Alvarez an offer, one that Bellator had the right to match if they hoped to keep Alvarez. Since that time, Alvarez and Bellator have been locked in a battle over what the term “matched” truly means. While Bellator believes that they matched the UFC’s offer and therefore still have rights to Alvarez, their former lightweight champion disagrees. The two parties soon sued one another. Somehow, I just know that this is all Obama’s fault.
In January, a federal judge denied Alvarez’s petition to be freed from Bellator, but in April, the same judge also denied Bellator’s petition that part of Alvarez’s suit against them be dropped (Ed note: Are we having fun yet?). Though there were rumors that the two parties would eventually reach an agreement, Alvarez’s Twitter account said otherwise yesterday.
“We will be going to Trial And there will be NO settlement I want to see this thing through and Let the truth come out in the End,” the fighter tweeted.
(Well, it’s safe to assume that Alvarez’s new training camp is off to a rough start.)
Lightweight Eddie Alvarez was a busy man on Twitter yesterday. Last October, Alvarez completed his final contracted fight for the Bellator organization and became a limited free agent. Emphasis on limited.
Almost immediately after said fight, the UFC made Alvarez an offer, one that Bellator had the right to match if they hoped to keep Alvarez. Since that time, Alvarez and Bellator have been locked in a battle over what the term “matched” truly means. While Bellator believes that they matched the UFC’s offer and therefore still have rights to Alvarez, their former lightweight champion disagrees. The two parties soon sued one another. Somehow, I just know that this is all Obama’s fault.
In January, a federal judge denied Alvarez’s petition to be freed from Bellator, but in April, the same judge also denied Bellator’s petition that part of Alvarez’s suit against them be dropped (Ed note: Are we having fun yet?). Though there were rumors that the two parties would eventually reach an agreement, Alvarez’s Twitter account said otherwise yesterday.
“We will be going to Trial And there will be NO settlement I want to see this thing through and Let the truth come out in the End,” the fighter tweeted.
Alvarez also tweeted that he had been “F_ed” by Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and that he had moved his family to Florida where, “Miami has unsanctioned fights somewhere for cash” that he might have to take part in to “stay sharp.” Not that we’d ever endorse that sort of thing, but publicly announcing your intention to participate in some unsanctioned bad-assery on one sentence and then discussing your intention to use the legal system in another is pretty freaking cool.
We may be biased, however, since we just think it’s time top guys like Alvarez and Michael Chandler got to show what they can do in the UFC, especially after seeing how good the Strikeforce lightweights really are *cough* MelendezHealy *cough*.
Who knows how this whole saga will unfold, but visions of Alvarez training hard in the Jaco gym to prepare for Florida street fights are already dancing in my head. Never Back Down 3: Taking it to the Streets. Again. Based on a True(ish) Story, anyone?
Less than a week away from his next title defense, 
