Bellator Fighting Championships have have granted the release of lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
It was an extremely tough journey for Eddie Alvarez throughout 2013, who took part in a grueling legal battle with Bellator which at the time was headed by the now former CEO Bjorn Rebney. Alvarez (25-3) completed the final fight of his contract in October of 2012 and sought passage to the UFC as the top lightweight outside of the promotion. However, contracted technicalities kicked in and Bellator matched the offer put to Alvarez by their rival promotion, and refused to let the fighter leave. Having gone back and forth in court, Alvarez and Bellator eventually reached an agreement that resulted in Alvarez staying with the promotion for a rematch with Michael Chandler, having been inactive from competition for over a year.
Bellator President Scott Coker released a statement and explained:
“We’ve granted Eddie his unconditional release. Eddie is free to explore the free agent market, we hold no matching rights, and we wish him the best in the future. We sat down with Eddie and his team a few times, and it became pretty clear early on that he just wasn’t interested in fighting for Bellator in the future. We want guys in this organization that want to be here, and after the history Eddie and the former regime had here at Bellator, we decided to move on. We wish Eddie the absolute best of luck with whatever is next for him. It’s a new chapter for everyone involved.”
Eddie Alvarez has also released a statement:
“This was a long process but it’s a decision that everyone seems happy with. I think it’s important to say that I am genuinely thankful for my time at Bellator. I know that sounds a little crazy given everything I went through, but I’ve fought there since 2009, and have been involved in some really amazing fights. The staff there always treated me great, and I’m going to miss seeing a lot of those familiar faces around for sure. Myself and my team had some really good discussions with Scott, but in my heart I knew I was ready to move on and start the next chapter in my career.”
Alvarez’s UFC debut has already been set for UFC 178 against Donald Cerrone on September 27.
