Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is now an unrestrictive free agent and he was given his unconditional release by Bellator on Tuesday.
Bellator President Scott Coker announced the release in a press release issued by the promotion to the media.
“We’ve granted Eddie his unconditional release,” Coker said in a statement. “Eddie is free to explore the free agent market, we hold no matching rights, and we wish him the best in the future.”
“We sat down with Eddie and his team a few times, and it became pretty clear early on that he just wasn’t interested in fighting for Bellator in the future. We want guys in this organization that want to be here, and after the history Eddie and the former regime had here at Bellator, we decided to move on. We wish Eddie the absolute best of luck with whatever is next for him. It’s a new chapter for everyone involved.”
Alvarez (25-3) has been in Bellator since the promotion debuted in 2009 and is one of three fighters in the history of the promotion to be a two-time champion. He had a very well documented public feud with former Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney when the promotion decided to match a contract offer from the UFC.
The two sides ended up coming to a settlement agreement as former Bellator President Tim Danaher was able to get Alvarez to come back to Bellator. He would only fight one time after reaching a settlement agreement, which was a close split decision win over Michael Chandler to reclaim the Bellator lightweight title at Bellator 106.
“This was a long process but it’s a decision that everyone seems happy with,” Alvarez said in a statement. “I think it’s important to say that I am genuinely thankful for my time at Bellator. I know that sounds a little crazy given everything I went through, but I’ve fought there since 2009, and have been involved in some really amazing fights. The staff there always treated me great, and I’m going to miss seeing a lot of those familiar faces around for sure. Myself and my team had some really good discussions with Scott, but in my heart I knew I was ready to move on and start the next chapter in my career.”
With Alvarez being free to sign with any promotion, he will most likely end up in the UFC. Alvarez is currently training in South Florida with the Blackzilians and told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com that he is healthy and completely recovered from a concussion he suffered earlier this year.