UFC Re-Signs Two Major Talents In The Middle Of Free Agent War With Bellator MMA
The UFC has long reigned supreme in the world of MMA without much competition, but if Bellator MMA has anything to say about it, that will change. Two big free agents determined their fate today in the talent war.
Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem came into the UFC with a lot of hype in 2011, and delivered with a big win over Brock Lesnar. Overeem's cardiovascular conditioning and career went off the rails after that, as a failed drug test sidelined him for a year, and he'd lose three of his next four fights.
Overeem put himself in a great position for renegotiation this December, however. Overeem destroyed former UFC Champion Junior dos Santos on his way to his third consecutive top-15 victory. Overeem made no secret he wanted to shop himself around, but announced today that he'd re-signed with the UFC. This immediately puts him into title match consideration.
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Although a much smaller name, Aljamain Sterling was widely considered one of the hottest free agents within MMA circles. The 26-year old, undefeated, #5-ranked Bantamweight essentially made himself being a free agent a story himself, as he took a gamble by not signing a UFC extension ahead of his December fight against Johnny Eduardo.
Sterling announced on MMA Fighting's MMA Hour on Monday that he also re-signed with the UFC.
"I'm 100 percent happy with my decision. I think I got a better deal for myself than I would have had. You can't put a value on the UFC name. That alone has value in itself. You go out there and say 'I fight for the UFC,' people know exactly what that is. I think I made the right decision. I got some extra incentives in there, I'm happy with the decision I made," said Sterling.
UFC's controversial agreement with Reebok has led to many fighters, namely Ben Henderson, testing the free agent market for more fighter-friendly offers. UFC retains a matching period on most contracts, but the fighters have the right to sit out that period and negotiate freely.