Rebney geared up for 'Summer Series' kickoff, not hopeful for Alvarez resolution

Bjorn Rebney knows all about navigating through the ups and downs of the fight business.

While one positive vibe is just around the corner for Bellator MMA, Rebney, the promotion’s founder and CEO, has been dealing with a rough patch and a bit of a black eye in a court battle with one of its biggest stars.

Rebney on Wednesday said the ongoing legal fight between Bellator and former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at one point looked like a resolution may be just around the corner. But now, Rebney appears to have resigned himself to the legal system having to decide.

The Bellator vs. Alvarez battle stems from the fighter finishing out his deal with Bellator, getting an offer from the UFC and Bellator exercising its right to match it. But therein lied the problem, with the promotion believing it had matched the deal appropriately, but Alvarez believing it had not. In January, a judge denied a motion that would have allowed Alvarez to make his UFC debut at UFC 159 this past weekend in Newark, N.J., not far from his home base in Philadelphia.

Rebney on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that he’s basically given up hope that the two sides will come to an agreement.

“I had hope a month ago there was a door opening,” Rebney said. “But that door isn’t open at this point. So I don’t know. The court system is slow and methodical, and we’re just going through the process. I don’t have any projections of it getting settled at this point because we’re not talking. The essence of it is, the promoter is never going to get everything he wants and the fighter is never going to get everything he wants. We have a position that we did everything right legally, and the court has supported us. I thought we were headed down a road (to resolution), and then everything went real dark.”

But even as that remains a sore spot for the promotion, Rebney is moving forward with positive things. Bellator again this summer will host a three-card “Summer Series,” which will kick off June 19.

Bellator 96 takes place at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., with a main card on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com. The first “Summer Series” event of 2013 features a lightweight title fight between champion Michael Chandler (11-0 MMA, 8-0 BFC) and recent tournament winner Dave Jansen (19-2 MMA, 6-0 BFC).

The event also will feature a four-man light heavyweight tournament pitting Muhammed Lawal (9-2 MMA, 1-1 BFC) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-7 MMA, 1-1 BFC) and Renato Sobral (37-10 MMA, 0-1 BFC) vs. Jacob Noe (11-2 MMA, 2-1 BFC). The winner moves on to a 205-pound title shot.

“It’s a crazy, crazy stacked card coming out of the box,” Rebney said. “It’s great to look at the lineup and be able to put together shows like this one. I’m excited about this one. It’s a great foursome. You know all the guys. Seth has an incredible track record, and he’s pulled off some incredible victories. Mo’s coming back with a huge amount to prove. And ‘Babalu,’ if you’re a fan of MMA, you’ve got to love Babalu. Noe put on an incredible battle for us in the first round (of the Season 8 tournament). It’s a great 4-man setup and we’re going to get from beginning to end of it in a 35-day period.”

The card also will feature War Machine, who will be fighting for the first time in 17 months after not just injury issues, but jail time issues. Rebney has been confident that War Machine’s legal troubles are in the past. Now he’s confident that his injury issues are in the rearview mirror, as well.

War Machine (12-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC) fights Blas Avena (8-6 MMA, 1-0 BFC) to open up the main card on Spike TV, and the winner will find his way into the Season 9 welterweight tournament.

“He looks to be 100 percent, back in training and not holding anything back,” Rebney said. “I think he’s back, and we had to get a fight together (for him) before Season 9 kicks off. Blas is tough and has big heavy hands, so this should be a spectacular fight. I’m excited to see him. From a fighting pserspective, he’s a great and exciting guy to watch fight. If he can get through this test, he’s got the tournament coming up in september.”

Rebney said venues are still in the process of being secured for the July and August “Summer Series” events for Bellator, but that the promotion’s new California home base could wind up hosting one of the shows.

For the latest on Bellator 96, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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