Bellator Looking to Hold onto UFC-Bound Eddie Alvarez

Hold on, Dana White. Eddie Alvarez isn't going to the UFC that easily.

Despite the assumption that the UFC will make an unbeatable offer for "The Silent Assassin" to join their ranks, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney aims to keep Alvarez in his roster.

As Bellator's first lightweight champion, Alvarez is a hot commodity well known for exciting title defenses and an inspired 2011 "Fight of the Year" performance against current champion Michael Chandler. He's also one of the few men in MMA to have defeated Japanese legend Shinya Aoki.  

MMA Weekly spoke with Alvarez's manager, Glenn Robinson of Authentic Sports Management, about the incoming 90-day negotiating period with Bellator. According to him, Bellator isn't throwing in the towel on their former champion just yet:

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Bjorn and Eddie had a great conversation and had some great talks. Bjorn has expressed interest in keeping Eddie, and talks have gone really well, and that’s all I can really say at this point.

Talks have gone really well with Bellator and Eddie just wants to fight the best fighters he can, and get a contract he feels is fair, but I can tell you Bjorn has gone out of his way to make Eddie feel welcome and talks have gone well so far, so we'll see what the future brings.

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If Bellator Fighting Championships is able to hold onto Alvarez and sign him to another contract, it'll provide them with some critical drawing power for next year, when the promotion makes its transition from MTV2 to SPIKE.

Alvarez has been a "top-10" standout in the lightweight division for over four years, currently standing at a solid 24-3 record over roughly nine years.