Issue 100

April 2013

Former Fighters Only Awards ‘Journalist of the Year’ John Morgan on the implications of the Bellator-Alvarez legal scrap.

While it may not necessarily seem like it to the casual fan, lightweight Eddie Alvarez’s legal struggles with Bellator MMA may ultimately prove to be one of the biggest and most impactful MMA stories of 2013. A conflict that erupted just as Bellator was making its transition to a new North American broadcast home in Spike TV, the result isn’t necessarily the most important part of the process. That honor falls to discovering what it means for fighter contracts in both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator moving forward. 

Bellator has matched a contract offer from the UFC, but Alvarez contends they aren’t of equal value. UFC President Dana White laid out in clear terms exactly what’s at stake during a recent discussion with a small group of media following January’s UFC on Fox 6 event in Chicago.

“Everybody wants to make more money,” White said. “That’s never going to change, but you better think long and hard if you’re a manager or a fighter and you’re about to do a deal with Bellator. Think long and hard about how you negotiate that contract.”

In my mind, that truly is the biggest lesson for both fighters and managers (not to mention promoters) in this ugly situation. You see, it’s hard to find any real right and wrong in the ordeal. Alvarez, who served the entirety of his Bellator contract, wanted to test the waters of free agency. The UFC saw an opportunity to add to its roster one of the world’s few top-ranked fighters not already competing under its umbrella. And Bellator simply wanted to retain the services of one of their most recognizable athletes, and by most accounts followed the legal process to a ‘T.’

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney even offered to do Alvarez a solid and waive his company’s exclusive negotiating period in favor of allowing the fighter to seek out a deal with the UFC, at which point Bellator could decide whether or not to match said offer. They ultimately did, and therein lied the rub. Alvarez likened the match to comparing steak and lobster with a trip to McDonald’s, and his point is understandable. Of course, Alvarez and his team could have avoided the entire scenario by simply waiting out Bellator’s matching period (similar to an American sporting draft pick sitting out a year in order to gain back his negotiating rights). It would have meant a year on the sidelines, but it would have saved a fight purse or two worth of legal bills.

When the legal battle first became public knowledge, it was hard not to side with Alvarez, who made it clear he was hoping to bolt to the UFC. But one can hardly blame Bellator for wanting to protect its assets. Doing so at the cost of re-signing an unhappy fighter wouldn’t seem to be the best choice either, but that’s why it’s so hard to try and boil the situation down to good versus evil. It’s more like multiple shades of a fuzzy gray on all sides.

Hopefully, that gray leads to clarity moving forward. If you’re a fighter that can make a living in Bellator, you absolutely should do so. It’s a promotion backed by billions of dollars in cash, and Spike TV is still a recognizable home for MMA in the eyes of many casual North American fans. But if your ultimate goal is a trip to the Octagon, you better make damn sure you know what it’s going to take to get there. 

Rebney and the team at Bellator MMA are happy to make you a star, but it’s obvious they don’t intend to be a feeder league for the Octagon. If you’re hoping to use the tournament-based promotion as a ticket to bigger opportunities, you need a legal team to read the Cliffs Notes study guide version of Alvarez’s court transcripts to ensure you don’t end up in a similar spot.

Hopefully, both promotions will make the changes necessary to keep this from happening again.

‘Grounded opponent' rule change long overdue

Speaking of UFC on Fox 6, we saw yet another example of why the Unified Rules’ definition of a grounded opponent is in desperate need of an update. 

In the night’s headlining matchup, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson found himself in an odd position in the fourth round, as he sought a comeback win over a scrappy John Dodson. 

‘Mighty Mouse’ worked into a dominant clinch and began to fire knees to his opponent’s head, just as Dodson placed his hand on the mat. Veteran referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy offered a warning for the blows but could very easily have deducted a point, which ultimately would have led to a draw rather than Johnson’s first successful defense of the UFC’s 125lb title.

I’m all for punishing infractions in the sport, but placing your hand on the ground to gain the protection of a downed opponent is not martial arts; it’s gamesmanship, especially when you repeatedly pick it up and put it down. I don’t blame Dodson for taking advantage of the rules. In fact, I applaud him for simply being intelligent. But this is a rule that needs to go away now. 

Don’t be afraid to tell your local athletic commission or rule keeper the same.