Bellator CEO rooting for Eddie Alvarez, but unlikely to bend on tourney format

Former Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez has two fights remaining on his contract and could be with the promotion for at least another year.

While he's often defended the promotion, he's also expressed a desire to fight the best in his class, who largely reside in the UFC. Alvarez also has campaigned for an immediate rematch with Michael Chandler, who took his belt this past November.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney wants to re-sign Alvarez (22-3 MMA, 6-1 BFC), who was his first big acquisition five years ago when the promotion was getting started in 2008. But at this point, Rebney is committed to the tournament format that separates Bellator from other fight promotions.

"Is there the potential that at some point there could be some alteration or adjustment to that format? I doubt it, but ... we'll see," Rebney told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

A pivotal fight for Alvarez's career is on the horizon. Next month, he meets DREAM champion Shinya Aoki (30-5 MMA, 0-0 BFC) at Bellator 66, which takes place April 20 at I-X Center in Cleveland. Beating Aoki would give Alvarez leverage in cutting a better deal with his longtime employers. It would also make him more attractive to the competition.

If they want to keep Alvarez, Bellator is required to give him the last fight on his contract within six months of the Aoki booking, which foreseeably could be in early 2013.

But Rebney is waiting to see what happens with Aoki.

"If he wins it, it will lead to one scenario, and if he loses it, it will probably lead in a different direction," Rebney said. "I'd love to keep him under the Bellator banner, but I'd also love for Ed to have nothing but the best success and make the most money he can."

The UFC has expressed interest in Alvarez, who won seven consecutive bouts prior to his recent setback. But the fighter's contractual status has prevented the promotion from making any public overtures.

"I like this kid," UFC president Dana White previously told MMAjunkie.com. "He's probably a tough guy, (but) you'd have to get him in here to really find out how good he really is."

One thing is for certain: Alvarez wouldn't have to worry about tournaments if he were to move to the UFC. His sometime training partner, UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, is on the cusp of his third title rematch after campaigning to avenge his loss to current champ Benson Henderson.

Alvarez recently balked at the prospect of competing in another one of Bellator's eight-man competitions to earn a rematch with Chandler. Instead, he chose Aoki, who submitted him just prior to his Bellator debut.

Rebney said he supports Alvarez whether he ends up in Bellator or in the UFC. But that's a choice the fighter isn't facing just yet.

"Eddie wanted the Aoki fight, and that's a good business decision," Rebney said. "He didn't want to go and rewrite the book. He wanted to get right back in and against one of the top-five lightweights in the world and reestablish himself.

"If he wins that fight, Ed's going to be in a terrific position to negotiate with us, as well as the UFC. So as counterintuitive as it sounds for a CEO that actually writes the check to say it, I hope that's the position he's in. Because the guy deserves it."