— Below the Belt with Brendan Schaub (@btbshowtime) March 7, 2019
“The idea of free agency today is so undervalued,” Eddie Alvarez told Brendan Schaub on Below the Belt. “Fighters don’t understand. Fighters are captive, kind of, in their own mind thinking, ‘If I’m not here, I’m not going to make money,’ and that’s not the truth.
“There are arenas selling out for MMA all over the world and until you become a free agent and explore that, you’ll never know. When you look at the UFC’s model, $4.4 billion when you look at their model, what do they do? For their infancy, they were on Spike [TV]. They used Spike’s audience. They used everything about Spike and then they jumped to Fox, jumped to ESPN. They don’t re-sign.
“They don’t stay with a company, they use their leverage,” Alvarez continued. “They put up points for that company and then they go to the other girl who wants them even more. Why wouldn’t a fighter do the same thing? Why wouldn’t they become a free agent and go to the next girl who’s willing to pay them? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Eddie Alvarez has fought in several different MMA organizations over the course of his 36 fight career. Having held world titles in practically all of those as well, ‘The Underground King’ has definitely become aware of his value.
After a thrilling and long-awaited eight-fight UFC run, Alvarez explored his options once again and wound up settling with the Singapore-based powerhouse that is ONE Championship.
The former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion will look to capture some more gold in his new fighting home and that begins on May 31 at ONE: A New Era when he kicks off their lightweight Grand Prix against Timofey Nastyukhin.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/7/2019
ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo is out to prove he’s not the same man that Dante Leon battled all those years ago.
The American defends his crown against Leon. This happens in their third meeting in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II. The action takes place on Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza is the latest acquisition for Chatri Sityodtong and ONE Championship, which has amassed one of the strongest striking realms in combat sports.
On Tuesday, 22 April, the promotion signed Yoza, inserting him into their talent-rich bantamweight kickboxing division.
British Muay Thai legend Liam Harrison’s bantamweight Muay Thai showdown with Soe Lin Oo this summer has sparked plenty of talk about retirement. But that doesn’t seem to be the case entirely.
“Hitman” meets the Myanmarese monster at ONE 173: Denver on Friday, August 1, at Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena — a contest in which he believes will provide the answer to his fighting future.
Third-ranked flyweight Muay Thai star Kongthoranee Sor Sommai wants to end his rivalry with former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama on Friday, May 2.
The rising star meets Nong-O in a flyweight Muay Thai rematch in the main event of ONE Fight Night 31 inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, where he looks to make a solid statement in his quest for a World Title shot.
Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama plans to bring back his classic hits after taking a different approach to his flyweight debut this past February.
The Thai legend meets #3-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in a rematch. This happens at ONE Fight Night 31 on Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. And he’s looking to inject himself into the ranks.
Competition has been a constant in the life of ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo. But that all changed when he suffered a debilitating knee injury last summer.
On Friday, May 2, at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II, the submission magician returns to action inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium when he defends his gold versus Canadian standout Dante Leon.
Rising welterweight MMA star Isi Fitikefu didn’t sign with ONE Championship to make up the numbers. He’s committed to reaching the division’s pinnacle, and he wants to face the very best fighters in the world en route to the top.
“Doxz” meets his toughest test yet in former ONE Welterweight MMA World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II, which airs on Friday, May 2, from Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
British striker Liam Nolan decided to call it a day at the young age of 27 years old following a loss in February 2024. That was, however, until an encouraging call came from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Nolan returns at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Friday, May 2, as he seeks revenge against Nauzet Trujillo in a lightweight Muay Thai rematch inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
