Eddie Alvarez meets Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in final contracted Bellator bout on October 15

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Eddie Alvarez's final contracted fight for Bellator Fighting Championships is set, as he'll take on former Bellator tournament finalist Patricky "Pitbull" Freire on October 12 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney announced the matchup on Twitter on Monday.

Alvarez, who has been with Bellator from their very first event, lost his Bellator Lightweight Championship to Michael Chandler in an epic fight last November, snapping a seven fight winning streak over two years in the organization. He bounced back with a vengeance in April, destroying Shinya Aoki in a rematch of one of his two other losses.

After that bout, Alvarez was left with one fight on his current Bellator deal. He had an option to simply let it expire, though it would have held him out of action considerably longer. Following this bout, he'll become a free agent, and will look to entertain a deal with the UFC; Bellator will have the right to match any offer for a short period of time, but much like with Hector Lombard that may not be realistic for them.

He'll have to get past Freire first, though, and that's no easy task. Freire was defeated by Chandler in the finals of Bellator's fourth season lightweight tournament, dropping a decision to the man who would become Champion. He bounced back with a first round knockout of UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino, but was shockingly submitted in an upset loss to Lloyd Woodard this March in the opening round of Bellator's sixth season lightweight tournament.

Penick's Analysis: This should be a great fight, and if Alvarez can get past a tough opponent in "Pitbull," he may finally get a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. He had his moments in the Chandler fight, to the point where he nearly finished it on numerous occasions, but he ultimately fell short. He's still one of the most talented fighters in the division, and a move to the UFC would give him the opportunity to prove where he belongs in the 155 lb. hierarchy. This is going to be a big opportunity for Freire as well, as the Woodard result was very surprising, and this could allow him to bounce back in a huge way.

[Eddie Alvarez photo (c) Henry Dziekan III]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_13972.shtml

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