With the likes of Benson Henderson, Alistair Overeem and Aljamain Sterling hitting the free agent market, the concept of athletes fighting out their contracts is becoming more common in MMA. Eddie Alvarez has been there and done that, and he preached the importance of getting every dollar possible. Prior to joining the UFC roster in September 2014, Alvarez (26-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who fights Anthony Pettis (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Sunday at UFC Fight Night 81, was caught up in one of the most well-publicized contract battles in the young history of the sport. He was stuck between Bellator, where he held the lightweight title, and the UFC, which offered a lucrative contract to jump promotions. Following months of expensive legal proceedings to determine the value of each contract offer, Bellator eventually folded its hand and parted ways with Alvarez, allowing him to finally join the UFC roster. The process was more difficult, drawn-out and stressful than most free agent scenarios, but in the end Alvarez said he got the deal he wanted and was best for his career.
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After deal that would make others ‘angry,’ Alvarez urges fighters to ‘build value’ – MMA Junkie