Members of the Blackzillians such as Tyrone Spong are currently on a seminar tour in Asia, and one of the main draws for that trip was supposed to be Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez, until he decided to pull out on the last minute. According to a report from MMA-in-Asia, the reason behind the cancellation was brought on by 'emergency talks' with Bellator.
As Alvarez had trouble dealing with Bjorn Rebney in the past, there might be a chance that this new regime may handle his situation differently. Here are the details from the respected Asian MMA outlet:
While Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez had an proverbial war over contract disputes with Rebney and Viacom that lessened his cage time for most of 2012 and 2013, the news of Coker coming on board may have evened out tempers. However, it appears that Alvarez may be using the opportunity for closed-door talks with the new management to decide his fate in an entirely different direction.
MMA-in-ASIA has been covering Tyrone Spong’s Asia seminar tour, one that was supped to be supported by the Bellator Lightweight Champ. His conspicuous absence was no idle matter, it turns out. Alvarez had his China visa and was ready to go but a last minute meeting with Coker kept him home.
No word yet on what has transpired from those meetings, but it hasn't exactly been a secret that Alvarez wants to be free and clear of his Bellator deal so he can fight for the UFC. Coker could now be faced with a similar dilemma as his predecessor, but will the outcome change this time around?