Who's next for Eddie Alvarez?

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Up next for champ Eddie Alvarez? Cox, Rebney, Coker and White all weigh in

by Steven Marrocco on Oct 27, 2010 at 2:05 pm ET

Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez delivered one of the most impressive performances in his career when he stopped UFC veteran Roger Huerta this past Thursday at Bellator 33.

But with so many strong showings in Bellator, as well as overseas in DREAM, is Alvarez (21-2 MMA, 5-0 BFC) running short on challenges?

Not so, according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The executive told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) Alvarez is expected to meet Pat Curran (13-3 MMA, 3-0 BFC), who was due to vie for Alvarez's title at Bellator 33 before injury struck, sometime in March 2011.

And Rebney is particularly excited about the possibility of a match beforehand between Alvarez and Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF) – if he can get Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on the phone.

The Bellator CEO said he's texted Coker about the superfight three times since this past Thursday – to no avail.

"I remain eternally optimistic and hopeful that we can get something together with Scott," Rebney said. "There's a variety of options that we can executive for Eddie. It just depends on which one of those options comes to fruition first."

Monte Cox, Alvarez's manager, added that his fighter still draws active interest from DREAM, though only one challenge is of immediate interest: a rematch with the Japanese promotion's lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki, who defeated Alvarez by submission in December 2008.

"Other than Aoki, who I know Eddie would love to have another shot at, we've beaten most of those guys," Cox said. "We've already beaten (Tatsuya) Kawajiri. We've beaten (Joachim) Hansen. We've beaten (Katsunori) Kikuno. So there's not much left over for us other than Aoki."

Coker said this past month that a rematch between Melendez and Aoki may be on tap for the New Years Eve "Dynamite!! 2010" event in Japan, though no official word has arrived from Fighting and Entertainment Group, which promotes both DREAM and Dynamite!!.

Asked whether Alvarez might be game to fight at the year-end show, or perhaps take Melendez's place, Cox said it is too soon despite the absence of damage his client took this past Thursday.

"The good thing with Bellator is that Eddie has made good paydays, and he doesn't have to fight every other month to survive," he said. "We'd like to fight in the next four to five months."

Rebney, however, has an ally in Cox when it comes to the idea of cross-promotion.

"In both of their organizations, they've run out of really top talent – world-ranked talent – to fight," the manager said. "So Gilbert needs Eddie as much as Eddie needs Gilbert."

Even if that superfight doesn't happen, Alvarez has fans in high places.

"I like this kid," UFC president Dana White recently said. "He's probably a tough guy; you'd have to get him in here to really find out how good he really is."

White, of course, takes issue with Bellator's claim that the Philadelphia-based lightweight took the No. 1 spot in the division with his victory over Huerta. There's one challenge Alvarez has yet to take.

"You can't prove yourself unless you fight in here," said White, who admitted he watched Alvarez's victory over Huerta. "You come in here, and these guys fight the best in the world three times a year. That's the way it should be.

"These guys that fight in the smaller leagues, there's going to be guys that come up that people think are good, and there's only one way to find out. Get them in here.

"So I don't want to disrespect that kid. He absolutely put a beating on Roger Huerta the other night."

Is it Alvarez's eventual destiny to end up in the octagon?

"I think so," Cox said. "We're happy with Bellator. They've done everything they said they were going to do. As long as Bellator can continue give us challenges and take care of us, we're going to be with Bellator.

"But that being said, what fighter doesn't dream of going to the UFC? That's the granddaddy of them all, and they've got most of the top-ranked guys."

Number 1 spot by beating Huerta....really? Anyway, I would like to see him fight Melendez and then come to the UFC.

[FUZO]

TweetWhy are they making it sound like beating huerta was such a big thing. Huerta sucks

[tn94z]

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Why are they making it sound like beating huerta was such a big thing. Huerta sucks

I don't know. That's what stood out to me....like beating Huerta pushed him to number 1