After a long back and forth battle with the promotion he fought for, Eddie Alvarez has been unconditionally released by Bellator.

The Bellator champion was released by Bellator CEO Scott Coker earlier this morning. Earlier in the year it looked as if Alvarez would get his wish and he would be released, however Bellator exercised their option to match the contract offered to Alvarez by the UFC, and as a result that’s where he stayed.

Coker said in a press release that was sent to MMAFighting:

“We’ve granted Eddie his unconditional release this morning,” Bellator CEO Scott Coker stated in a press release. “Eddie is free to explore the free agent market, we hold no matching rights, and we wish him the best in the future.”

Alvarez also said in the press release:

“This was a long process but it’s a decision that everyone seems happy with,” Alvarez said in the press release. “I think it’s important to say that I am genuinely thankful for my time at Bellator. I know that sounds a little crazy given everything I went through, but I’ve fought there since 2009, and have been involved in some really amazing fights. The staff there always treated me great, and I’m going to miss seeing a lot of those familiar faces around for sure. Myself and my team had some really good discussions with Scott, but in my heart I knew I was ready to move on and start the next chapter in my career.”

The UFC had been looking into a potential matchup between Alvarez and Donald Cerrone, however with Donald Cerrone now booked to fight Bobby “King” Green in the co-main event of UFC 178, who would you like to see Alvarez face?

Note: Alvarez is a ‘free agent’ now, that does not mean a contract with the UFC is official yet. However fans can likely expect one to be signed.