Bigger Than Alvarez: Zuffa vs Bellator

HaulParris

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Does anyone else think that Zuffa is just trying to see what kind of budget Bellator (with their new partner Viacom) have? This is not a thread meant to question Eddie Alvarez's worth, just a thought that perhaps his contract negotiation is being used by Zuffa to feel out their competition's spending power. Perhaps Zuffa is intentionally quoting higher than expected amount of money, to see if Bellator can match.

Lastly, perhaps Zuffa wants to see Bellator use up their new Viacom-size budget as soon as possible, so that when a new unsigned prospect is up for grabs (or when a Bellator star like Chandler finishes out his contract), Bellator will have spent too much already and will not be able to come close to matching UFC's offer.
 
negotiating tactics.

but all that aside, all potential top fight comp has no place anywhere else except the ufc. so let's get this over with and see if alvarez truly is a top flight competitor any more.
 
until now they just ignored Bellator, but now on Spike TV they are a bit more competitive so they'll be treated like competition. also, Zuffa-Spike split wasn't a friendly one and the beef is still there.

it's a bit of everything. measuring how much resistance Bellator can offer, making them more difficult/expensive to keep their talent or just taking their talent by offering contracts Bellator can't afford to offer. expect the same move from Zuffa everytime the contract of one of the biggest Bellator names expires.
 
No, I don't think that's accurate, because the contract Eddie signed is what he's worth and it's what any LW at his level is worth during there free agency year. If this was about UFC vs Bellator it would have been a hector Lombard contract.
 
I wouldn't like Bjorne if my buddy didnt work for him. He's stone cold, which is why he is pretty good in business.
 
I'd really like to see Eddie fight the best in the world and test himself in the UFC, but if I was Bellator I'd fight to keep my star fighters also. I see Bellator as a feeding org. for the UFC, or a place that some name guys can go to if the UFC cuts them. Eddie is ready to move on though, hope he gets the chance.
 
I don't think this was a power play by the UFC at all.

Lombard got a $400,000 signing bonus and $300,000 flat fee per fight with PPV cuts.

Alvarez was offered a $250,000 signing bonus and a $70,000 show/$70,000 win contract with PPV cuts. That's seems pretty average for a perennial top 10 LW (which Alvarez has been considered to be for a while now).

If anything, I feel that Bellator is looking to pick this fight with the UFC to put themselves up on that national stage. They see a spot opening for the #2 promotion now that SF is closing shop, they got the deal with SPIKE and now they want to show that they can hang with the big dogs when if comes to competitively compensating top fighters.

The UFC could had thrown a $400,000 signing bonus and offered Alvarez $200,000 flat a fight if they wanted to screw Bellator over. Instead they offered Alvarez pretty much what he was worth.

It's gonna be interesting to see where this goes.
 
I don't think this was a power play by the UFC at all.

Lombard got a $400,000 signing bonus and $300,000 flat fee per fight with PPV cuts.

Alvarez was offered a $250,000 signing bonus and a $70,000 show/$70,000 win contract with PPV cuts. That's seems pretty average for a perennial top 10 LW (which Alvarez has been considered to be for a while now).

If anything, I feel that Bellator is looking to pick this fight with the UFC to put themselves up on that national stage. They see a spot opening for the #2 promotion now that SF is closing shop, they got the deal with SPIKE and now they want to show that they can hang with the big dogs when if comes to competitively compensating top fighters.

The UFC could had thrown a $400,000 signing bonus and offered Alvarez $200,000 flat a fight if they wanted to screw Bellator over. Instead they offered Alvarez pretty much what he was worth.

It's gonna be interesting to see where this goes.

This is exactly how I feel.... This isn't no Kimbo Slice deal
 
I think people just read into this way too much.

If anything Bjorn fighting this would give him insight moving forward on how to deal with future stars that want to jump to the UFC while gaining alot of extra exposure(some of maybe not the best).

I just wish Bellator would let the fans know what there intentions are over the next few years. Under the current model they've been running guys like Eddie and Hector have just outgrown what Bellator can do for them. They just aren't signing or even trying to sign top talent to fight there best guys. So I can see why Eddie wants out and why Hector left and why Conrad just retired.
 
I think people just read into this way too much.

If anything Bjorn fighting this would give him insight moving forward on how to deal with future stars that want to jump to the UFC while gaining alot of extra exposure(some of maybe not the best).

I just wish Bellator would let the fans know what there intentions are over the next few years. Under the current model they've been running guys like Eddie and Hector have just outgrown what Bellator can do for them. They just aren't signing or even trying to sign top talent to fight there best guys. So I can see why Eddie wants out and why Hector left and why Conrad just retired.

Or make fighters who dream of the UFC refuse the match clause and hurt Bellator in the long run.
 
The UFC definitely wants to take their competition's most popular fighters. That is what it comes down to.
 
Bellator is decent, its just I dont like the commentators most of the time, and they dont have enough good fighters.

Plus ben "the human blanket" askren fights for them which I cant stand lol
 
he can't be pissed either way. dude is making bread...

however, props to him for wanting to step into the bigger pond.
 
Bellator knows that their loosing one of their biggest draws. But if they put up a fight that would make them seem more powerful. Publicity.
 
I thought this lawsuit was Alvarez V. Bellator, and not UFC V Bellator.

Either way, there's no way that Bellator can equal the UFC contract because there's no way of knowing what the PPV bonus would be IF indeed Eddie did get a title shot....

so, Bellator would have to make some changes and have a contingency for bonus which would rationally and fairly equal the potential bonus UFC adds in the form of PPV buyrate bonus...
 

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