Despite a 90-day window that allows Bellator to exclusively negotiate with sought-after free agent Eddie Alvarez, the promotion's CEO Bjorn Rebney doesn't expect to take nearly that long to determine whether he can strike a deal with the former lightweight champion.
In a Friday night interview with MMA Fighting, Rebney said that Bellator has made Alvarez an offer, and that Alvarez's response will determine the next step. If he accepts it, he stays in the Bellator fold where he will be prominently featured as the promotion moves to its new broadest home on Spike. And if he doesn't, Rebney will allow him to bypass the remaining 70+ days of the exclusive negotiating period and take his talents to the open market, where he will no doubt be MMA's hottest commodity.
Such a move would ultimately benefit both sides, as it would allow Alvarez to restart his career faster than expected, while it would also offer Bellator a chance to properly gauge its assets as it heads into its pivotal 2013.
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