CR Exclusive Interview with Sam Alvey

"Smilin’" Sam Alvey is a tall 185er who is 19-4 (11 wins by KO) with some impressive wins over guys like Karl Amoussou and Augusto Montano. Alvey is just coming off of a stint as a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 16 on FX. Alvey was not asked back to fight on the Finale card but when some doors are closed, others will open. Alvey is now going to fight Elvis Mutapcic at MFC 36 on February 15^th for the middleweight title. Alvey is very excited for the opportunity. He took some time to talk with us before the holidays about TUF, MFC, Bellator, Team Quest and his thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s main event status.

Check it out:

Championship Rounds: How has your life changed since being on TUF?

Sam Alvey: You know, what my life consists of is basically the same things. I get up, I train, I come home. I go back to the gym, I come home again and back to the gym. Same thing every day. It is cool though, I have been recognized 11 times outside of sporting events.

CR: What was your experience like living inside the TUF house? And how were all the personalities?

SA: Everyone assumes it is a constant mile-a-minute ride, but the truth is, it’s boring almost the entire time. You work out for about; well team Carwin we worked out for 4 hours a day. Team Nelson worked out for 2 hours. And the rest of the time you’re back at the house. You know, some of the personalities really made things easier. Like Igor he is one of the biggest personalities I’ve ever met. Matt Secor, I love him to death, he talks a lot but you know what, it was fun listening to him too because there was nothing to do.

CR: After being around Dana for a little bit, what was your take on him.

SA: He is the exact same way as he seems on camera. He knows what he is doing, down to business and if he wants something he will get it. And that being said I really liked him. I think he represents the sport well.

CR: Were you surprised, like we were, that you did not fight in the finale?

SA: Yes, I was very surprised and even more so that no one fought in the finale. It was a 3 man finale [with Roy Nelson, Colton Smith, and Mike Ricci]. But I did get to go and watch my good friend Colton win and it was a great event. Pat Barry was amazing. Even Roy Nelson, for as short as he came up on the coaching side of things, definitely can fight.

CR: How do you feel about fighting for MFC and fighting for a title?

SA: It is a great opportunity. It is one of the bigger organizations in the world and the biggest in Canada. It is my home. My teammate Richie Whitson fought for them about a year ago a couple times and watching him really made me a fan of the organization. So, I'm looking forward to stepping in the ring and impressing everyone that watches.

CR: So, what do you think of your opponent, Elvis Mutapcic? What do you think he brings to the table and how do you see that fight going down?

SA: He is kinda like the T-2. He is good at striking, he is really fast, and he trains with wrestlers constantly. He is just the next breed of fighter and I’m going to get in the cage and show him I am too. So, it’s going to be a great fight and anyone that watches will leave that arena or broadcast impressed.

CR: What is it like training at Team Quest on a daily basis?

SA: It’s the hardest training I’ve ever had. I’ve worked out at gyms around the world and nothing is compared to Team Quest. They just have this drive led by Dan Henderson. Then the coaches he has brought in: Daniel Woirin, Ricardo Feliciano, Bryan Harper, are all top notch. When I win my next fight it will be because of them and I couldn’t have done it at any other gym.

CR: So, you fought some really great fights in Bellator. What was your experience with Bellator like and if you ever had the opportunity would you ever go back?

SA: You know what? It was a good experience but I don’t know if I would go back or not. They would have to talk with me. They just didn’t seem to like me at all (laughs). They asked me before the tournaments, ‘Who would you want to fight the most?’ I told them, ‘Last year’s champ’, because I wanted to go all in. I love striking and I’m good at wrestling too. I just thought it was a great matchup for me. And then they asked who my least favorite opponent was and I told them I’d beat [Vitor] Vianna but you know a black belt like that is pretty intense and he trains with some of the best in the world also. And that is who they matched me up with; which is fine because I will fight anyone at any time. I also personally thought I won that fight but two judges saw it a different way but life goes on.

CR: Yea, that fight was extremely close. So, there is some noise coming from your camp that they are upset, and rightfully so in my opinion, that Dan Henderson is fighting Lyoto Machida underneath Ronda Rousey and her title fight. So, is it true that some people are upset about it and what are your feelings about it?

SA: Well, I don’t want to put words in anyone’s mouth because everyone knows she is a great athlete and all that. However, my personal opinion is that she hasn’t earned it. Dana White says she is the title holder and the title holder will always be the main event. But she was given the title, she hasn’t fought for it. Then you have Dan Henderson in there who has fought everyone from around the world and left from two organizations with three different title belts. He does deserve to be the main event but he is happy just fighting and just like everyone else from Team Quest, he just loves the sport.

CR: Yea I was kind of shocked, to be honest, when they announced Ronda as the main event. But one last question. How do you see the Fight with Dan and Machida going down?

SA: My man Dan is as good as it gets. I don’t think Machida has what it takes to beat him. Dan’s got more power than Machida and he is a better wrestler than Machida. Dan works the clinch better than anyone in the UFC except for maybe Anderson Silva. I just think it’s a bad matchup for Machida and I look forward to see Dan knocking him out or submitting him.

CR: Thank you so much for taking your time and doing this with us. We wish you luck in your fight.

SA: Thanks.

Sam Alvey was the nicest guy on TUF 16 and might be the nicest guy I have ever talked to over the phone. Make sure you keep an eye on Alvey because he will be making some huge splashes in the next few years. Make sure to follow him on Twitter @smilensam and watch his fight in February on AXS TV.