Barring settlement, Eddie Alvarez not in court until September of 2014
When Bellator star Eddie Alvarez finished his contract, we went on the open market and received a signficant offer from…
When Bellator star Eddie Alvarez finished his contract, we went on the open market and received a signficant offer from the UFC:
•Eight-fight deal;
•Three commentary opportunities;
•$250,000 signing bonus;
•$70,000 to show and and additional; $70,000 to win;
•$5,000 escalation for each additional win, to a maximum of $210,000;
•PLUS a cut of a PPV.
However, Bellator had the right to match the UFC’s offer, so they did, literally. The contract was rewritten word for word.
However, as Bellator does not currently run PPV events, Alvarez contends that the UFC offer was not in fact matched. The case has been working through the court system at a glacial pace, and now appears to be slowing.
Steven Marrocco from MMAJunkie has the story.
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.
The fighter largely has been quiet since giving a series of interviews accusing Bellator of shady behavior after the expiration of his previous contract with the promotion.
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.
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.
Alvarez has not fought since 12 October 2012. Barring a settlement, it appears he will be out for over two years, in the prime of his fighting career.