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http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/5/2...ighters-managers-eddie-alvarez-askren-lombard
Way too long to post it all, some very interesting clauses in their contracts.
The most objectionable part of the contract, according to a consensus from my sources, was found in what many refer to as the "champion clause." Back in September of 2009, MMAPayout posted the text for this clause, which read:
"If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up, the Term shall be automatically extended for a period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months from the Termination Date, or (ii) the date in which FIGHTER has participated in three (3) bouts promoted by PROMOTER following the Termination Date ("Extension Term"). Any reference to the Term herein shall be deemed to include a reference to the extension term where applicable."
The one change Bellator seems to have made since then is the insertion of the phrase "by the PROMOTER" into the clause, so that it now reads:
"If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared by the PROMOTER the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up"
Fighting under these terms, Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, and Ben Askren - all of whom were tournament winners and a champion in their weight class - saw three additional fights added to their agreement as part of the extension detailed above. Once these additional bouts were completed though each was free to contact and negotiate with other promoters (although Bellator did retain matching rights). While the tournament wins and time as champions obviously increased Lombard and Alvarez's value, as evidenced by the rather lucrative (by MMA standards) deals they ended up receiving, current and future Bellator champions are unlikely to have the same opportunity to cash in on their in-cage success.
According to our sources, Bellator has informed the fighters and managers that this extension can be enacted each time a fighter is declared "the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up" and that the extensions accumulate. What this means is that a tournament winner who then fought and won a Bellator title would have two extensions added to his contract, one for being declared a Tournament winner and one for being declared a champion of his weight class. There also does not seem to be a limit to the number of extensions that can accumulate, so that a fighter who wins or reaches the finals of multiple tournaments or who wins the championship on separate occasions or in different weight classes could have 3, 4, or even more extensions added to his deal.
MMA promotional agreements, including those for Bellator, typical come with a guaranteed number of bouts during the contracted period. But for the "Extension Terms" in the Bellator contracts we examined there doesn't seem to be any minimum bout requirements. The fear that one manager expressed was that Bellator would not be obligated to provide any fights for the duration of the twelve or eighteen-month extension.
The fact that fighters and their managers are now aware of these provisions does not necessarily mean fighters will refuse to participate in a tournament. Thanks to how most Bellator contracts are structured, non-tournament bouts usually pay much less than tournament bouts - as little as 1/5 of what is guaranteed in a first round tournament match. Fighters therefore may feel financially compelled to take part in a Bellator tournament, potentially adding further extensions if they reach the finals.
Way too long to post it all, some very interesting clauses in their contracts.
The most objectionable part of the contract, according to a consensus from my sources, was found in what many refer to as the "champion clause." Back in September of 2009, MMAPayout posted the text for this clause, which read:
"If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up, the Term shall be automatically extended for a period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months from the Termination Date, or (ii) the date in which FIGHTER has participated in three (3) bouts promoted by PROMOTER following the Termination Date ("Extension Term"). Any reference to the Term herein shall be deemed to include a reference to the extension term where applicable."
The one change Bellator seems to have made since then is the insertion of the phrase "by the PROMOTER" into the clause, so that it now reads:
"If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared by the PROMOTER the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up"
Fighting under these terms, Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, and Ben Askren - all of whom were tournament winners and a champion in their weight class - saw three additional fights added to their agreement as part of the extension detailed above. Once these additional bouts were completed though each was free to contact and negotiate with other promoters (although Bellator did retain matching rights). While the tournament wins and time as champions obviously increased Lombard and Alvarez's value, as evidenced by the rather lucrative (by MMA standards) deals they ended up receiving, current and future Bellator champions are unlikely to have the same opportunity to cash in on their in-cage success.
According to our sources, Bellator has informed the fighters and managers that this extension can be enacted each time a fighter is declared "the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up" and that the extensions accumulate. What this means is that a tournament winner who then fought and won a Bellator title would have two extensions added to his contract, one for being declared a Tournament winner and one for being declared a champion of his weight class. There also does not seem to be a limit to the number of extensions that can accumulate, so that a fighter who wins or reaches the finals of multiple tournaments or who wins the championship on separate occasions or in different weight classes could have 3, 4, or even more extensions added to his deal.
MMA promotional agreements, including those for Bellator, typical come with a guaranteed number of bouts during the contracted period. But for the "Extension Terms" in the Bellator contracts we examined there doesn't seem to be any minimum bout requirements. The fear that one manager expressed was that Bellator would not be obligated to provide any fights for the duration of the twelve or eighteen-month extension.
The fact that fighters and their managers are now aware of these provisions does not necessarily mean fighters will refuse to participate in a tournament. Thanks to how most Bellator contracts are structured, non-tournament bouts usually pay much less than tournament bouts - as little as 1/5 of what is guaranteed in a first round tournament match. Fighters therefore may feel financially compelled to take part in a Bellator tournament, potentially adding further extensions if they reach the finals.
