Dana White warns fighters: 'Think long and hard' before you negotiate a contract with Bellator

Fear and loathing in Las Vegas?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has a warning for all the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters under his employ who may be looking for more money outside the hallowed Octagon., Yes, that includes you, Mr. Quinton Jackson.

"Think long and hard" before signing a contract with Bellator MMA.

The "Sin City" fight boss caught wind of the recent delay in the legal battle between Bellator and its former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (see what caused it here) and unloaded on members of the MMA media at the UFC on FOX 6 post-fight media scrum:

"This isn't one of those situations where you're talking about, ‘Poor little Bellator.' Viacom owns Bellator. They're the owners of Bellator. They pull the triggers. They make the money. They have the money, they decide what's going on over there. These are boxing guys, man. This is what boxing guys do. They sue everybody. They're always in court, every 15 minutes. So this is something, this Eddie Alvarez situation, if you look at the 13-year history of the UFC, and our relationship with fighters, and what we've done, there's always going to be a situation where guys need more money. Everybody wants to make more money. You guys want to make more money. Everybody needs to make more money. That's never going to change. That's in all of sports, okay? But you better think long and hard if you're a manager or a fighter and you're about to do a deal with Bellator. Think long and hard about how you negotiate that contract."

See the entire conversation (start at 05:05) here.

Of course, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, who insists there is a "key misunderstanding" in the Eddie Alvarez deal, might say the exact same thing about White and UFC, who can do some contract matching of their own now that "Rampage" is (almost) free to fight elsewhere.

Is White using scare tactics in the battle for free agents?

Let's get some feedback on this one, Maniacs. Has the MMA landscape been changed forever now that contract disputes are being settled by the courts? Or is it a necessary evil to ensure fighters are getting paid what they deserve in the era of big-money paydays?

Thoughts?