"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 15th 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.
