Former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez has Sent the UFC a Stern Warning About His Contract Situation…
Eddie Alvarez has a gripe with the UFC and it could break their relationship. ‘The Underground King’ is a fan-favorite for his heavy-handed, go-to-war style. The former lightweight champion, from Philidelphia, is in a bizarre situation where the UFC has let him run his contract down to his last fight.
Alvarez’s last appearance was in an absolutely brutal contest with Justin Gaethje. In what was a true fight of the year contender, the pair went to war, with Alvarez getting the finish in the third round. He’s widely expected to face Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their original bout which ended as a no-contest.
However, Alvarez has warned that unless his contract situation is resolved, he’s not stepping back in the octagon. It’s crazy that one of the most well-known fighters in the lightweight division has been put in this situation, considering how much he brings to the UFC.
Adamant
Alvarez first came to prominence when he took the lightweight title from Rafael dos Anjos. This put him on Conor McGregor’s radar in his quest to become the UFC champion to hold two belts at the same time. They fought and the ‘Notorious’ dissected him. Win or lose, Alvarez is good value. However, we won’t see him again unless his contract is sorted.
“It’s not f*cking happening,” he said. “I’m not fighting until I get a new deal.”
The Philadelphian is not that far from the top either. the lightweight division is so stacked right now, that a win for any of the five fighters under No. 1 ranked McGregor could make or break their title fight chances. Alvarez knows this and wants to be in the strongest possible position.
Disagreement
Contract negotiations appear to be tense. ‘The Underground King’ clearly feels like he’s being undervalued. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you realize the UFC will try to pay you as little as possible when you’re no longer on top of the world. Alvarez explained the situation on the MMA Hour:
“The only thing we spoke of was re-signing and we haven’t come to that agreement yet. So I’m guessing there’s not going to be an opponent or a bout agreement in the mail unless I’m ready to re-sign. So when we come to agreement to re-sign, then I’m sure there will be a bout agreement in the mail.”
Not Good
The UFC could find itself in an awkward situation. They’ve let former champions like Benson Henderson walk away in the past, so it wouldn’t be the first time. However, with the lightweight division being as good as it is right now, does it really make sense to annoy one of their best action fighters like this?
That’s hard to say. The UFC is very stubborn when it comes to these types of situations. If worst comes to worst, they could always just pay out the last fight on his contract, like they did to Leslie Smith. The company always wins.
