Eddie Alvarez vs. Cowboy Cerrone at UFC 178?
The UFC is reportedly in negotiation with Bellator to acquire Eddie Alvarez, who has one fight left on his contract, and match him with Donald Cerrone at UFC 178.
To the list of long, strange trips that includes Marco Polo in China, and finding true love, add Eddie Alvarez coming to the UFC.
The lightweight engaged in a bitter, protracted, and ultimately losing legal battle with Bellator MMA CEO Bjorn Rebney, following Alvarez’s attempt to move to the UFC when his Bellator contract expired after his 2012 fight with Patricky Freire.
The legal issue centered on Bellator’s right to match any contract Alvarez was offered. The UFC contract offered a bonus, win money, show money, and, contentiously, points on a PPV. Bellator rewrote the UFC contract word for word, a seemingly perfect match. However, Alvarez argued that the word for word contract was not in fact identical, as Bellator had never done a PPV.
Bellator countered that they planned a PPV, and indeed after an aborted initial effort, did do one. However, Alvarez’s argument was that, to make use of metaphor, the UFC offered him a ride in a Ferarri. Bellator said we are going to go get a car and you will get a ride in it. A ride in a Ferarri is not identical to a ride in an Accord, and thus, by this reasoning, the contracts were not, in fact, identical.
By way of illustration, this is a fighter in a Ferrari:
This is a fighter in an Accord:
See if you can spot the differences.
In the end, the legal case extended far into 2014, and at the peak of Alvarez’s fight career, he renovating houses; he signed a new contract with Bellator.
Late in 2013, Alvarez then won a Fight of the Year candidate with Michael Chandler, regaining his title.
“I’m hearing Djork oops Bjork got served a big fat plate of Karma tonight :)” crowed UFC president Dana White on Twitter afterwards, adding “Congrats Eddie!!”
Alvarez was scheduled to fight a rubber match with Michael Chandler on Bellator’s PPV, but suffered a concussion in training, and withdrew.
Now Sherdog, which has an excellent track record of reporting on Alvarez, has learned that the UFC hopes to match up Eddie Alvarez with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 178 on Sept. 27.
UFC 178 is headlined by Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, and features Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.
Alvarez has one fight left on his Bellator contract. The UFC is reportedly in negotiation with Bellator, but it has not been finalized.