Eddie Alvarez Returns to Bellator, Challenges Champ Michael Chandler at Nov. 2 PPV
Eddie Alvarez’s legal battle with Bellator MMA has ended.
Bellator officials announced Tuesday that the former lightweight champion will return to action on Nov. 2 when he rematches current 155-pound ruler Michael Chandler at Bellator’s inaugural pay-per-view at Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.
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Following his win over “Pitbull,” Alvarez’s Bellator contract expired, and the lightweight fielded an offer from the UFC. Bellator exercised its right to match the terms of the deal, but the two sides disagreed on whether Bellator’s new offer was of equal value to the UFC’s. The dispute resulted in both sides filing lawsuits, though the matter has now been settled.
“I still lose sleep over my loss to Chandler, and I want it off my record,” Alvarez stated in a release. “This was a long process, but at the end of the day I’m back with Bellator and I’m happy to get back in the cage. I really believe everything happens for a reason, and at the end of the day my family and I are happy, and I’m ready to get my belt back on Nov. 2.”
Chandler, meanwhile, has never lost as a mixed martial artist, rattling off 12 straight victories to start his MMA career. Following his triumph over Alvarez, the 27-year-old conquered Japanese veteran Akihiro Gono in a non-title affair before defending his belt successfully against tournament winners Rick Hawn and David Rickels.
“Without sounding too disrespectful, when I fought Eddie the first time in 2011, I didn’t even know what it meant to be an MMA fighter,” Chandler said. “Two years later, I’ve grown so much as a mixed martial artist, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind [that] on Nov. 2 my hand will be raised and the belt will be around my waist.”
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