Alvarez puts worth of ONE deal at $10 million, or more
Eddie Alvarez: “I’m not the last large signing in the next month or so. There will be a shift, a massive shift, in power towards One Championship.”
‘The UnderGround King’ Eddie Alvarez appeared recently on the Ariel Helwani MMA Show and discussed his signing with ONE Championship.
UFC made a good offer, they were close,” said Alvarez, as transcribed by Adam Guillen Jr. for MMA Mania. “I was under the notion that all fighters are underpaid. All fighters in general. For the value we bring and how much the promotions make overall, not just UFC; what they make versus what is paid out, all fighters are underpaid.
So as free agents, we have to compare our contracts to the market. But I was under the notion that the market was really low. The comparables are really low. I’m not necessarily going to compare my contract to my colleagues, to Frankie’s or Marlon’s or guys in my same ranking. I wasn’t going to do that because I already think everybody’s not getting paid. I had a number and UFC almost met it.
But they didn’t. Alvarez thought it over for a day, and put himself on the market.
The value of free agency today is so incredible,” he enthused. “For any fighter to give that up is foolish. If you really want to make money in this sport and test how much you’re worth, you become a free agent. I would say there’s no other option.”
ONE made me a partner in their promotion. It was more of a partnership than it was, ‘Hey, come on as a fighter. Here’s your money to fight,’ and that’s it. They made me a true partner in the promotion. It’s a package deal. Fighters today are, ‘What do I get to win and what do I get to show?’ Which I think is complete…I haven’t done a win and show contract in 10 years and never will. It’s a package. It’s nothing like a normal MMA contract. They made me a true partner in the promotion.
Look without getting into details, the package in general is going to be an eight-figure deal. Eight figure fight deal. A guaranteed eight-figure fight deal in total. They made me true partner, which I am happy about, and they fully committed to me and we’re fully committing back.”
I’m not the last large signing in the next month or so. There will be a shift, a massive shift, in power towards One Championship.