The experience of moving from Bellator to UFC was lengthy, complicated and at times seemingly hopeless, but in the end Alvarez said he got what he wanted. He said that was the primary goal of free agency regardless of which brand name was printed at the top of his contract.
“It ended up going really well; a lot of these lightweights would probably get angry about how I made out,” Alvarez told MMAjunkie. “Personally my goal was to never to – my end all be all was never, ‘Oh, I want to be a UFC fighter. I always wanted to build value to myself, for Eddie Alvarez. It wasn’t so much about the promotion that’s building myself as a commodity.”
Not every fighter that hits the free agent market is going to come out the other end with a contract that’s satisfactory, but Alvarez said it’s crucial to get as close to that point as possible. MMA is a sport where athletes must maximize their value on every level, because the promoter certainly won’t do it for them. Alvarez felt he did that, and he hopes others will do what’s necessary to accomplish the same.
“I just recommend the guys that are up-and-coming to build value for themselves, not just go to the UFC or go to the these other promotions on their hands and knees to give them a couple dollars,” Alvarez said. “They need to build value that they need to bring to the promotion first and think about it that way rather than just asking for a job.”
LINK: After deal that would make others 'angry,' Alvarez urges fighters to 'build value'
