15 Bellator Fighters Who Would Succeed In The UFC

1. Eddie Alvarez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7jhX_czZms Weight Class: Lightweight Look, we know the UFC wants him. After signing Bellator champ Hector Lombard to a big-money deal that Bellator didn't match in 2012, only to see Lombard go 1-3 before dropping to welterweight and turning things around, the UFC knew let it be known that they wanted Alvarez, with Dana White tweeting him a congratulatory message after his last win in the promotion prior to his contract being up. They also decided to play it safe, offering Alvarez a contract that was lucrative, but one that Bellator and parent company Viacom were willing to match. They felt burned by the Lombard signing, after all. So Bellator matched the offer. It was how they matched it that caused the s**t to hit the fan. Written into Alvarez's UFC contract offer was a clause for PPV dollars - a bonus based on the buyrate of any PPV event he would appear on. Some UFC stars get these bonuses, generally just champions and other headliners. Alvarez was also promised an immediate title shot. He'd lost his Bellator belt in 2011, but won his next two fights, avenging an early-career loss against Shinya Aoki, and defeating Patricky Freire. Alvarez was widely considered the best lightweight outside the UFC (Chandler's name was also in the mix after defeating Alvarez for the title, but Alvarez had faced tougher competition over a longer period), and was a guy who put on exciting fights and finished. Bellator matched that title shot, matched the money the UFC offered, and tried to match the PPV dollars clause. There was just one problem: Bellator to that point hadn't held a PPV, and even were they to put one on, it was unlikely to sell what a UFC PPV with Alvarez would. Ergo, they hadn't really matched it, had they? This became a sticking point in a legal battle that would keep Alvarez from fighting, and in limbo, for over a year, as the two parties fought it out. Bellator had the legal right to match the UFC contract, and if they did, they were entitled to retain Alvarez's services. The UFC, and Alvarez, didn't feel they'd truly matched it, based on the fact that they'd never held a PPV. It was a matter of intending to match it, and matching real-world numbers. There was a point where this fight could have been stalled in the courts for years, but in the end, wanting to get back in the cage, Alvarez took a deal: he'd fight Chandler again, and were he to win, fight once more. After that, from what was known of the settlement contract, he'd be done in Bellator. He faced Chandler in November 2013 and won the bout, in a fight that was to have been on PPV but wound up on Spike TV due to an injury to headliner Tito Ortiz. It was a stunning fight of the year match that ended in a split decision, and fans wanted more. Due to the terms of his contract, he'd in fact have to face Chandler once more, a great prospect for the fans, and Alvarez's legacy. The match was to take place in May 2014, again scheduled to be on Pay Per View, and this time it would be headlining - until, shortly before the date, Alvarez had to pull out with an injury. Alvarez vs. Chandler 3 was off the card. Chandler faced Will Brooks for an interim belt at the event instead, and as mentioned previously, lost. Which leaves us with a conundrum: Bellator's Bjorn Rebney has claimed that Alvarez's contract stipulates that a fight with Chandler is next. Meaning, despite losing, Chandler could face Alvarez in a hotly anticipated third fight, while Brooks, who beat Chandler for interim gold, sits out. Alvarez has disputed this, saying that he'd be willing to fight Brooks, but alluded to the money needing to be right. So, is it in the contract that Alvarez is entitled to Chandler next, or not? The Chandler fight is the money fight, but Brooks is a worthy opponent who won a shot at the undisputed title. Once this all plays out, the UFC will be right there, waiting in the wings to snatch up Alvarez once he's finally a free agent. And maybe some of these other fighters as well some day.