Eddie Alvarez isn’t mad at Bjorn Rebney or Bellator

Image Courtesy SB Nation

By Evan Stoumbelis

Newly crowned Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez made his successful return to action this past Saturday at Bellator 106 after a year-long layoff to reclaim his 155-pound strap from then undefeated champion Michael Chandler.

For those who don’t know, Bellator sued Alvarez after the UFC offered him a contract and Bellator exercised their right to match the offer. Alvarez said the offer from Bellator didn’t come close to matching the UFC’s offer, and as a result Bellator sued him for not signing the contract they offered to match the UFC’s offer.

Now after getting his revenge on Michael Chandler who took his belt nearly two years ago, Alvarez says there is no anger or animosity towards Bellator or their CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Alvarez spoke on The MMA Hour saying:

“I let all that stuff go, I let everything go. I said good luck to Mike before the fight. I said thank you to Bjorn before the fight. I let every ounce of anger, every ounce of animosity I had…I let it all go. I felt so good, man. I really felt like I was going to become champion again. My training, I just felt like more than anything I deserved it. Because me and my wife and my kids, we moved out of our house. We did so much. We sacrificed so much. So I just felt like if anything I deserved it. So if I didn’t win, I would have been a little bummed out. I did a lot. I did a lot to get that title.”

As far as Alvarez and Rebney’s relationship following the lawsuit Alvarez said:

“We spoke shortly, right after [the fight], basically like we got to sit down and talk and figure some things out. It hasn’t been the best relationship. I can’t lie. He can’t lie either and say oh, yeah we’re buddies we’re pals because, we’re not. Things aren’t the way they used to be. More than anything, there has to be a better open line of communication and maybe things can be talked about.”