Eddie Alvarez: I regret nothing
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 an 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 despite an aborted first effort, Alvarez contends that the UFC offer was not in fact matched. The case was working through the court system at a glacial pace, and then slowed.
When the court schedule called for the discovery to be completed by Feb. 28, 2014, and depositions by July 28, with a pre trial conference scheduled for Sept. 15, 2014, Alvarez saw the best years of his fighting life being spent renovating investment property and selling his home to finance a move to train in florida. He settled.
In an interview with MMAFighting’s Luke Thomas, ahead of his rematch Saturday with Michael Chandler, Alvarez said he regrets nothing.
Luke Thomas: If you could do it all over again, would you do it differently?
Eddie Alvarez: No, no. No, I don’t regret any of it. It was necessary. I don’t regret any of it.
I believed in everything I was doing. Every action I made, I believed in. I thought I was doing the right thing. I think my best foot forward to do what I had to go to get to number one in the world and if anybody wants to blame me for that, then they can blame me for that, but I’m just trying to do my best to get to the number one spot.
I’m willing to be relentless. I’m willing to do what it takes to get there. I don’t regret any of it.
LT: What did that entire process teach you?
EA: It taught me the court system, in general, is no way to settle anything. Normally, if you want to settle something, the best way to do it is sit down as men and talk, continue to keep an open line of communication and continue to talk, regardless of your differences.
But, 100 percent, the court system is no way to settle your differences. Unless you got a lot of time and a lot of money on your hands, going that route is no way to go.
LT: Let’s say you knock out Michael Chandler in the first round and now you’re the champion again. How’s it going to be dealing with Bjorn Rebney? How is it going to be dealing with Bellator management? Do you find that to be an issue?
EA: No! It’d be perfectly fine. Look, I don’t have to like Bjorn. Bjorn don’t have to like me. I work for myself. Every fighter who fights in the world works for themselves. Regardless, I’m going to be a professional and do what I have to do, but I’m an independent contractor. I’m my own brand and I work for myself just like any other fighter.
Bjorn is a promoter and he works for himself. He don’t have to like me, I don’t have to like him, but what needs to happen is fights need to be made that fans want. As long as we can both agree upon that – if me and Bjorn don’t agree upon anything and we just agree upon giving the fans the fights that they want – then that’s all we need to agree upon. That’s all we need to come an agreement with, is that.
LT: Is it fair to say as a bonus to winning, do you want to stick it to a few people?
EA: Yeah, why not? I always smile in the back of my head. All of the smirk going on inside and it’ll feel good.