Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is enjoying free agency. In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, he expounded on the benefits of being a free agent, offering sage advice to any young fighters looking to take their careers into their own hands.
“I would love to consult with younger fighters just to explain to them the business of this sport, because no one values free agency and understands the power in it once you’ve made a name for yourself, or won a world title.
Eddie Alvarez Offers Free Agency Advice to Young Fighters
I think fighters will complain that they can’t get out of a contract, they can’t do this, but you have to remember the first day you signed that contract, you were happy with it, right?
Now, the key is to add value. Let’s say the contract is six fights, you have to add as much value to yourself and to that promotion during those six fights as possible. That way, you’re more valuable outside of the contract, but you have to leave the contract. You can’t allow a company to come in a fight or two before your contract [ends], to re-sign you for another six and eight [fights]. You can’t do that, because you’re killing yourself.”
Alvarez, who has fought under both the UFC and Bellator banners, believes that “the biggest value of free agency is being able to find out what you’re worth”.
“I don’t know if the resentment is towards the promotion, but it should be geared back at the manager or the fighter themselves, yelling, ‘Why do you keep re-signing?’ Because the biggest value of free agency is being able to find out what you’re worth.
I don’t know who to blame. If I ran a business, and I have multiple businesses, I don’t know if I would do anything different. I would try to get my products for as cheap as possible, sell them for as much as I can, and I think that’s what the top companies do. They try to get us for as cheap as possible, then try to sell us to a larger audience for a lot more for their gain of profit.
It’s up to me, the product, to go, ‘I need to find out what I’m worth.’ It’s my responsibility. Nobody’s going to give a f*** what I’m worth more than I should. I should care more than anyone. Figure out what’s my number [everywhere], that way I can negotiate properly.”
Do you agree with Eddie Alvarez? Let us know in the comments.
