Former Bellator MMA and UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has parted ways with ONE Championship.
News of the split, described as “amicable,” was first reported by the South China Morning Post.
While ONE Championship officials did not respond to a request for comment, Alvarez released a statement on social media Tuesday, confirming his exit from the company.
“Confirmed, I am no longer with ONE. We parted ways amicably and I remain on good terms with the ONE team. I want to thank Chatri for the opportunity and I look forward to watching their continued success,” Alvarez wrote. “I’m officially a free agent and Ready to Hunt.”
Alvarez finished the statement asking fans to tell him who’s next, signing off as UGK – the Underground King.
The 38-year old Alvarez last competed in April of 2021, losing a unanimous decision to Ok Rae Yoon, who would go on to capture gold in the promotion. The ex-UFC champ’s run in ONE was a rocky one, with just a single win through four fights. He was shockingly knocked out in his promotional debut, finished by Timofey Nastyukhin.
Alvarez submitted former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang in his next fight, then lost a controversial bout against Iuri Lapicus that was originally a DQ due to punches to the back of the head. The result was later overturned to a No Contest.
