Eddie Alvarez Accuses Gilbert Melendez of Dodging Him

Bellator Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez was excited when the news broke that Bellator had come to an agreement with former Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez.  He had hopes that he would face a man that he felt has intentionally eluded him for years.  Eddie Alvarez has long awaited a fight with Melendez and felt that the signing of Melendez was going to get him the match he has wantes for years. When he heard that Melendez was going to be staying with the UFC, he felt like Melendez was finding another way to dodge him.  He feels that Melendez is scared to face him and will always try to avoid a possible clash.

As entertaining as a fight between Alvarez and Melendez would be, Gilbert Melendez belongs in the UFC amongst the best fighters in the world.  Melendez didn't truly want to go to Bellator, but the negotiations with Bellator eventually got the UFC to come to an agreement on contract terms with him.  Eddie Alvarez was almost signed to the UFC a year ago, but was pulled back into Bellator due to contract terms that allowed Bellator to match the UFC's contract.  I think that after his contract with Bellator is over that Alvarez should try to make a second attempt at getting in the UFC so that he can have his showdown that he claims to strongly want.  

Bellator 120:Rampage/King Mo added to Bellator PPV Card

Bellator will attempt to try their hand at the PPV business once more as they have scheduled a third match between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler for the Bellator Lightweight Championship. The two men both own a win over each other and have traded the title between the two of them.  Bellator originally tried their first pay-per-view back in November, but the card was sent to regular television when Tito Ortiz's injury canceled the main event.

Bellator now has tried to increase their selling power by adding the Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Final between Quinton Rampage Jackson and King Mo. The two men had what seemed to have been a staged "confrontation" after their victories at Bellator 110 in February. The two appeared to be ready trade blows in that moment, but the altercation didnt seem genuine as it felt like an episode of TNA Impact.

I can't say that I'm really excited to see the fight, but I think the fight will give each man a reason to want to out perform the other when they clash. I think that they will bring the best out of each other as the two men are hands down the biggest names in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Division. I think wanting to prove themselvea as the best that Bellator has to offer will ne enough to get both men to perform at their best.

Gilbert Melendez Signs with Bellator

It seems that former Strikeforce and WEC Lightweight Champion, Gilbert Melendez has decided take matters into his own hands in regards to his UFC contract issue as he has been signed to Bellator.  UFC Lightweight contender Melendez has been battling with the UFC to come to contract agreements for a while now. Michael Chandler the former Bellator Lightweight Champion had already called out the UFC star before anythung was finalized with Bellator. With Melendez signing a multifight contract is is possible that the two of them might clash.

As a die-hard UFC follower I am sad to hear that Melendez will no longer be in the UFC, but I am glad that he is going to Bellator and not a smaller organization. I hate to think of such a great talent like Melendez leaving the UFC over a contract dispute,  but I think that he will surely be tested as Bellator has the nest lightweight division outside the UFC. I wish him luck and I hope that we will see him again in the UFC. The UFC still has the ability to match Bellator's offer by way of Gilbert Melendez's current contract under the UFC.

Chandler Wants Melendez in Bellator

Former Bellator Lightweight Champion, Michael Chandler, has expressed an interest in facing Gilbert Melendez if he jumps the UFC ship and heads over to Bellator MMA.  Chandler tweeted:

Seeing this news about @GilbertMelendez has me excited. Who wants to see me welcome him to @BellatorMMA after I beat Eddie?
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) February 13, 2014

 I would be heavily interested in seeing a clash between Chandler and Melendez, but as much as I would love to see this, I'd prefer to see Gilbert stay in the UFC and eventually fight for the belt.  If Melendez does decide to leave the UFC I would love to see him face Chandler or Eddie Alvarez for the title.  If Melendez were to move to Bellator and beat one or both of these men, it would further solidify his top 5 status in the world at 155 lbs.  The Lightweight division is the most talented division in all of MMA and Bellator has the second best Lightweight division after the UFC.

Alvarez-Chandler III Happening in 2014

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Bellator Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez revealed that he and Michael Chandler will be facing each other a third time this year and it will be on a Pay-Per-View card.  In their clashes with each other Chandler and Alvarez are both 1-1 against each other and will settle the score in the final match of a trilogy. Chandler took the Bellator Lightweight title from Alvarez in their first meeting amd then Alvarez took it back in their second meeting.

It is very clear that Alvarez and Chandler are Bellator's most interesting draw for a PPV card and the best fight that they can make with their roster. Though I would be interested in the third clash I would much rather see another challenger step up against Alvarez and make Chandler earn a second title shot as Alvarez had to do.  The fight is definitely an intriguing fight but I think that it is too soon. It is a good bout for 2015, but I don't think now is the time. It will be a fight that will answer many questions about which of the Bellator competitors is the real champion.

Bellator 109 Results

Main Card:

Alexander Shlemenko def. Doug Marshall via KO (body shot) Round 1
Rick Hawn def. Ron Keslar via KO (punch) Round 3
Will Brooks def. Alexander Sarnavskiy via unanimous decision
Terry Etim def. Patrick Cenoble via unanimous decision

Preliminary Card:

Mike Bannon def. Ahsan Abdulla via technical submission Round 1 (Head-Arm choke)
Blagoi Ivanov def. Keith Bell via submission (rear naked choke) Round 1
Goiti Yamauchi def. Saul Almeida via KO Round 1
Bubba Jenkins def. Ian Rammel via TKO (strikes) Round 3
Brent Primus def. Brett Glass via submission (rear naked choke) Round 1
Lester Caslow def. Jay Haas via submission (guillotine) Round 3

Chandler-Alvarez Numbers from Last Night

Numbers below are provided by Compustrike

Bellator 106 Results

Main Card:

Eddie Alvarez defeated Michael Chandler by Split Decision
Emanual Newton defeated Muhammed Lawal by Split Decision
Daniel Straus defeated Pat Curran by Unanimous Decision
Joe Riggs defeated Mike Bronzoulis by Unanimous Decision
Mike Richman defeated Akop Stepanyan by TKO (Strikes, Round 1, 4:05)

Preliminary Card:

Cristiano Souza defeated Alejandro Garcia by Submission (Rear naked choke, Round 3, 3:06)
Brandon Halsey defeated Hector Ramirez by TKO (Strikes, Round 1, 0:52)
Mike Guymon defeated Aaron Miller by Submission (Triangle choke, Round 2, 4:20)
Cleber Luciano defeated Joe Camacho by Unanimous Decision
Josh Smith defeated Darren Smith by Unanimous Decision

Bellator 106 Weigh-in Results

Main Card:

Michael Chandler (154.8) vs. Eddie Alvarez (154.5)
Pat Curran (144.8) vs. Daniel Straus (144.2)
Muhammed Lawal (204.1) vs. Emanuel Newton (203.4)
Joe Riggs (170.7) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (171)

Preliminary Card:

Mike Richman (145.5) vs. Akop Stepanyan (145.9)
Alejandro Garcia (170.3) vs. Cristiano Souza (171)
Joe Williams (170.6) vs. Jesse Juarez (170)
Brandon Halsey (205) vs. Hector Ramirez (203.8)
Michael Guymon (155.8) vs. Aaron Miller (156)
Joe Camacho (150) vs. Cleber Luciano (149)
Darren Smith (155) vs. Josh Smith (155.5)

Terry Etim Heads to Bellator

Former UFC Lightweight competitor, Terry Etim, will be making his Bellator MMA debut in the preliminary card of the Bellator PPV card in November.  Etim was released from the UFC earlier this year after his decision loss to Renee Forte in London.

Terry Etim is scheduled to face Patrick Cenoble in his debut.