Eddie Alvarez likely won’t be returning to the UFC or Bellator MMA as his free agency tenure draws to a close. “The Underground King” is one of the most notable names in lightweight mixed martial arts (MMA) history. The 34-year-old has fought all over the world during his 15-year MMA career.
He became Bellator’s first-ever lightweight champion in 2009. Alvarez also had an epic rivalry with fellow 155-pound great Michael Chandler. In 2014 Alvarez finally made it to the UFC, defeating Rafael dos Anjos to win the promotion’s 155-pound title. He even headlined the UFC’s first Madison Square Garden show in a record-setting pay-per-view (PPV) opposite Conor McGregor.
When it’s all said and done, Alvarez can sit back and look comfortably on his historic career. However, “The Underground King” seems to be far from done. After fulfilling his contractual obligations with the UFC this past July, Alvarez is now a free agent. The UFC has shown interest in retaining Alvarez, as UFC President Dana White flew to Philadelphia to meet with Alvarez in May in attempt to strike a new deal.
With that being said, it looks like Alvarez’s time with the UFC could be coming to an end. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that Alvarez is closing in on a deal with Singapore-based MMA promotion, ONE Championship:
“Free agent Eddie Alvarez is very close to agreeing to a new multi-fight contract with ONE Championship, multiple sources told ESPN. This would be the biggest FA signing in ONE history”:
Free agent Eddie Alvarez is very close to agreeing to a new multi-fight contract with ONE Championship, multiple sources told ESPN. This would be the biggest FA signing in ONE history.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 13, 2018
To further the storyline, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong took to Twitter and hinted that Alvarez may in fact be ONE-bound:
I’m about to announce one of the biggest athlete signings in history for ONE Championship. Any guesses? ??? #WeAreONE
— Chatri Sityodtong (@YODCHATRI) October 13, 2018
What do you think about Alvarez potentially going to ONE Championship?
