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.

MMA Light Heavyweight Rankings: September Edition

As we at CR continue our rankings, we head into one of the most stacked divisions in MMA led by the polarizing Jon Jones: light heavyweight. The weight class is filled with legends and very promising prospects that could be champions for a long time. Let’s check it out.

10. Rampage Jackson - Rampage is an interesting man, to say the least. But let’s not focus on the negative but rather the positive. He is one of the best fighters of all time. I don’t like the guy, but it’s true, how can you deny it? He was a Pride legend and is also a UFC legend. If it weren’t for his poor relationship with Dana, he would be a shoe-in for the Hall-of-Fame.

Photo va MMAJunkie.com

9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - The smaller of the MMA legend twins that are the Nogueira brothers has been rocky since entering the UFC. He entered with a dominating TKO victory over Luiz Cane and followed with a very controversial win over Jason Brilz. He ended up losing to two wrestling powerhouses in Ryan Bader and Phil Davis. But with his last win via 1^st round destruction over Tito Ortiz; he’s looking to make it towards a title shot.

8. Ryan Bader - “Darth” is an awesome wrestler. He reminds of Chuck Liddell with his great wrestling and incredible overhand right. Although he was absolutely destroyed by Lyoto Machida in his last fight, his last win over Rampage still has him up there as a top guy.

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

7. Phil Davis - “Mr. Wonderful” is still one of the most promising fighters in the UFC. His first two fights under the Zuffa banner were a dominating decision over Brian Stann and a first round submission over Alexander Gustafsson. He then followed that with wins over Rodney Wallace, Tim Boetsch, and ‘Lil Nogueira. Despite his boring decision loss to Rashad Evans, he will still be challenging for the title in the next two years.

Photo by MMAJunkie.com

6. Alexander Gustafsson - Speaking of Mr. Gustafsson, since that loss to “Mr. Wonderful”, he has become a star in the UFC and one of the top guys to beat Jon Jones. His standup is vicious and his ground game underrated, which was shown in his Matt Hamill win. His next fight against Shogun is definitely a number one contenders match.

5. Mauricio Rua - Shogun is an awesome fighter. He is the perfect example of a Pride fighter. Always fighting to the bitter end and when he has the chance to finish, he finishes brutally. I truly hope he is inducted into the Hall-of-Fame and a win over Gustafsson could cement that.

4. Lyoto Machida – For those of you who don’t know, Lyoto Machida is my favorite fighter currently fighting (my all time being Cro Cop). His last win over Ryan Bader is a perfect example why. He is so amazing to watch, simply mesmerizing. He dodges and the opponent misses by an inch, he then knocks you out instantly. It’s truly incredible. There are rumors circulating that he and Dan Henderson will be fighting in a 1 contenders match.

3. Dan Henderson – Henderson is another one of the perfect examples of a Pride fighter. His last fight with Shogun is one of the greatest fights of all time and will most likely be in the top-3 fights of all time, forever, quite honestly. If Dan Henderson isn’t inducted into the Hal-of-Fame, there shall be a riot, and if there isn’t one, I will start one. The guy is a natural middleweight and knocked out the greatest heavyweight of all time (Fedor) in the first round. I mean, that’s pretty ridiculous.

Photo by MMAJunkie.com

2. Rashad Evans – What makes Rashad ranked over Dan is the fact that he has done the best against Jon Jones. He won the first round in most people’s books and went to a decision. His only other loss is to Lyoto Machida and has beaten so many top contenders recently its crazy. Rashad is also one of the most well rounded fighters in MMA. A drop down to 185 could prove to be an amazing choice.

1. Jon Jones – Joe Rogan said it perfectly; Jon Jones could very well be the greatest talent we have ever seen in the UFC. No one has been able to hurt him. The worst anyone has done was when Machida had him backpedaling twice in the first round. Sure, he’s cocky, but he has a reason to be.

So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what you either agreed or disagreed on.

UFC on Fox 4 Main Card Recap

The Dragon is back.
Photo by MMAFighting.com

The fourth event that the UFC has held was the most underwhelming on paper leading up to it. It ended up as one of the better events the sport has had in some time. With all of the main card fights being finished and two of them being absolute wars. Not only is this the type of event that you would show to haters of the sport, but also it just happened to be shown on one of the most watched channels in the world. Joe Silva and Sean Shelby knew what they were doing with the matchups on this card.

Possible matchups for Swick: Swick is back, although the first round wasn’t all that great for, now that he has the first fight under his belt, Swick will be much better in his second outing. Thiago Alves is still looking for an opponent in his next fight and Swick’s win certainly put him back up in the upper echelon of 170 pounds.

Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson: After 2.5 years from fighting, Mike Swick finally made his return after a string of nearly career ending injuries. His ring rust wasn’t evident through the first minute of the fight as he was continually rocking Johnson with punches. DaMarques got the fight to the ground and easily won the first round after nearly being finished. Swick came out much stronger in the 2nd and knocked out Johnson after a takedown. Swick followed it up with one of the more emotional post fight interviews as he was in tears asking if we remembered him. Yes we do.

Possible matchups for Swick: Swick is back, although the first round wasn’t all that great for him, he now has that first fight under his belt, Swick will be much better in his second outing. Thiago Alves is still looking for an opponent in his next fight and Swick’s win certainly put him back up in the upper echelon of 170 pounds.

Possible matchups for Johnson: Johnson is undoubtedly close to being released. If he wants to stay with the UFC, he should fight Chris Clements who is also coming off a loss if he wants to keep his job.

Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner: This fight is easily in the lead for Fight of the Year. Jamie Varner nearly finished Lauzon in the first round more than once but Lauzon came back in the second, which was the round that they swung for the fences. They connected on each other multiple times and the ground game was back and forth as they consistently swept each other. Eventually in an amazing scramble, Lauzon caught Varner in a triangle to finish the fight. The fight was amazing and was the perfect fight to show to millions of new viewers to the sport.

Possible matchups for Lauzon: Lauzon’s cardio looked great in this fight. Typically that is his Achilles heel and this time around, that wasn’t the case. Rafael dos Anjos is also coming off a big win over Anthony Njokuani and this fight would send the winner straight into title contention.

Possible matchups for Varner: This fight is still a win in many people’s eyes for Varner. He looked great and deserves a full fight camp against a top guy. The loser of the Cerrone/Guillard fight would make a lot of sense, especially if it’s Cerrone.

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader: Lyoto Machida arguably has the most technical striking in all of MMA. He is so masterful and beautiful in his counter striking. This performance was absolutely incredible and that second round KO definitely solidifies a title shot.

Possible matchups for Machida: He is already announced to be fighting the winner of Dan Henderson and Jon Jones.

Possible matchups for Ryan Bader: James Te Huna is the next big thing at 205 and Ryan Bader continues to look like a gatekeeper. That fight would be great and huge fight for Te Huna.

Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera: Shocking. That is the only word to sum this fight up. It’s not only shocking that Vera did so well, almost finishing Shogun in the second, but the fact that it is also a frontrunner for Fight of the Year. I personally expected this fight to be rather boring. It was anything but. Vera realized that this was his fight to lose and he came out with a fire in his eyes. He came out as the old Brandon Vera, the one people considered to be the next champion in more than one weight class simultaneously, and he showed more heart than the average UFC champion. Although they both showed cardio issues, they looked amazing and they both showed why they are considered title contenders. Truly shocking.

Possible matchups for Shogun: The fight that everyone has been talking about is Shogun vs. Alexander Gustafsson as a number 1 contender’s match. Yes please.

Possible matchups for Vera: When Vera originally came back to the UFC, there were talks of him and Thiago Silva having a rematch. If Brandon Vera could come out to that fight the same way he did for this fight, he would most likely win.

Click here for the prelim recap.

UFC on Fox 4: Shogun vs. Vera Predictions

UFC on Fox 4

Sam's Picks
Main Card

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Brandon Vera: The fact that the UFC made this the main event of a Fox card is just plain bizarre. The last time that Vera won against anyone who was anywhere near close to be considered a title contender was an out of shape, just recovered from a major motorcycle accident, and nervous Frank Mir. That was back at UFC 65 and he won via first round TKO. After that, he went 4-5 and if you want to count the Thiago Silva fight: 4-6. Shogun’s career himself is winding down and isn’t near a title shot in most people’s opinion. Shogun literally has the advantage anywhere this fight goes: the ground, striking, and the clinch. And when I think about it, Vera doesn’t have the power for a puncher’s chance; therefore, there is quite literally no chance for him to win. It would be awesome to see him win though to resurge his career = Shogun by 4^th round TKO.  My pick for KOOTN!

Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader: This fight is tough to pick. Bader has looked very good since his last loss to Tito and Machida looked like the old Machida in the first round against Jones back at UFC 140. Although, Bader’s last win wasn’t all that impressive due to the fact that it was a unanimous decision win over an extremely under motivated Rampage Jackson, it was still a win over a former champion and that certainly counts for something. But the one thing that I haven’t seen anyone talk about yet is the fact that this fight may have title implications on the line. Machida’s sole purpose in life is to be a champion, if this fight has a title shot at the end of it for the winner, then Machida is going to be one of the best fighters in the world due to motivation = Machida by 3^rd round TKO.

Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon: This fight is another hard one to pick because Varner looked amazing in his last performance and Lauzon showed that he is capable of being KO’d in his. If Varner can come out with the same aggressiveness that he did against Barboza, then he should be able to win this one. Lauzon fights like such a veteran though. He’s patient and always finds a way to win. I really want to go with Varner but Lauzon is the much more careful pick = Lauzon by 2^nd round submission (choke). My pick for SOTN and 2^nd for FOTN!!

Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson: I am super happy to finally see Swick making his comeback. After two and a half years of absence, he is returning in a big fight. The first fight on Fox is extremely important and both Johnson and Swick are highly entertaining fighters that love to bang. I see Swick winning this fight wherever it goes = Swick by unanimous decision.  My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Prelims

Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan = Miller by 1^st round submission (triangle choke)

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado = Davis by 1^st round submission

Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya = Yahya by 3^rd round submission

Phil De Fries vs. Oli Thompson = De Fries by split decision

Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa = Gamburyan by split decision

Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga = Gomez by 2^nd round submission (RNC). My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Brandon Vera: This fight is weird and makes no sense in a lot of ways. Shogun has been fighting big names and 3 fights ago he was a champion. Vera is 1-2 in his last 3 but also lost a fight to Thiago Silva, but that was turned into a no contest when Silva tested positive for steroids. Vera has had a weird and up and down UFC career. However he finds himself in a title contender match against a guy who does not deserve one himself. Everyone is making a big deal that Vera should not get a shot at the title; well I am saying Shogun should not either. Shogun is only 4-4 in the UFC and is coming off a loss. Shogun beat Mark Coleman (8 years past his prime) in one of the sloppiest fights ever. He then beat Chuck Liddell (2 years past his prime). Then received a title shot and lost a close decision. Then KO’d Machida in an instant rematch for the title. Then lost the most one-sided title fight in which the champion lost that I have ever seen in MMA. Then he KO’d Forrest Griffin (2 years past his prime). Then he lost to Dan Henderson. What about this plus beating Vera equals a title shot? I don’t understand it. This fight might be fun or boring based on Shoguns aggressiveness. But I see Shogun being able to dominate in the clinch but I wouldn’t mind seeing resurgence in Vera. = Shogun by unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida: Now this fight will be a fun one. Bader is going to have a hard time getting this to the ground. I think Bader is a tailor made opponent for the elusive Machida and I see Machida winning a decision that hopefully turns his career back around. = Machida by unanimous decision.

Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner: This fight will be a ton of fun. Both of these guys go for it from bell to bell. I think Lauzon will have the advantage on the ground but Varner will have the advantage standing. I think if Varner can get out of the first round and wear Lauzon down he can take 2 out of the 3 rounds. = Varner by unanimous decision.  My Pick for Fight of the Night!

DaMarques Johnson vs. Mike Swick: If Swick didn’t miss two and a half years due to injuries then I would pick him to win in a heartbeat. Swick is faster, stronger and has better striking. Johnson might have the advantage on the ground. He looked good grappling against John Maguire before getting submitted. This one is hard to pick for me but I am going with Swick because he comes from a great camp with training partners that are much better than Johnson = Swick by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan: Miller by unanimous decision.

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado: Davis by unanimous decision.

Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya: Yahya by unanimous decision.

Phil De Fries vs. Oli Thompson: De Fries by unanimous decision.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa: Omigawa by split decision.

Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga: Gomez by split decision.

RECHARGED: Shogun vs. Vera

Shogun Rua and Brandon Vera

Hello everyone! This is a new segment in which we are going to be posting your cure for the Mondays. It’s going to be a quick article on what to look forward to this week in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Who’s ready to get recharged?

This week in MMA holds two very exciting cards for both casual and hardcore fans alike.

The first of the two is XFC 19, which is being held in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is headlined by the always-tough Mike Bronzoulis, who is coming off a 2^nd round KO over Danny Salinas, against UFC vet, Corey Hill, who himself is coming off a quick anaconda choke victory over Darryl Madison. The co-feature of this event is between the popular, and the very beautiful, Felice Herrig against the underrated Simona Soukapova. This fight guarantees fireworks. The last bout I want to mention is between “Notorious” Nick Newell and David Mays. Nick Newell boasts an undefeated record of 7-0 with 6 of his wins coming within the first stanza.

He also just happens to have only one fully functioning arm. Yes, one. And he’s undefeated! Pretty amazing if you ask me (our interview with him earlier this year).

The other event the following day happens on Fox, which features light heavyweights Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera. A lot of people aren’t giving Vera a chance to win this fight, as he is 1-3 in his last four (if you count the Thiago Silva fight), but you should never count someone out in MMA. It is also co-headlined in another light heavyweight tilt that features former UFC champ Lyoto Machida and TUF winner Ryan Bader in a fight that could go either way.

We also welcome three new additions to the UFC roster as flyweight newbies Ulysses Gomez and John Moraga face off in the opening showdown. And Muay Thai specialist, Wagner Prado looks to make a huge splash at 205 pounds as he and Phil Davis look to cement themselves as top guys in the light heavyweight division.

Other events this week in chronological order: Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach 2012, CES MMA: Far Beyond Driven, KOTC: Sudden Strike, Fightworld Cup 12, Warriors Realm 14, UVC 20: Clash at the Coliseum, Champion Pro MMA Fights, FFC 1: The Beginning, and Pancrase: Progress Tour 9.