Sam Alvey Accepted UFC Manila Bout Before Knowing Opponent
Sam Alvey Accepted UFC Manila Bout Before Knowing Opponent
Sam Alvey is busy—and that's just how he likes it. Here, he discusses his hectic present and future inside the Octagon.
It’s a been a busy summer for UFC middleweight Sam Alvey.
The American has already fought three times since June 18, and his next outing is booked for Oct. 15 in Manila. After losing the first of his three-fight stretch to Elias Theodorou, the hard-hitting Team Quest member Alvey has strung together wins against Eric Spicely and Kevin Casey. Suffice to say, his confidence is sky high right now, and from his point of view, he can't fight often enough.
“This time around, my wife went to the UFC and told them that I wanted on that Manchester card,” Alvey said. “Unfortunately, they said Manchester was full, but that they had an opening a week later for the card in Manila. I didn’t hesitate for a second and said I’d take it. I didn’t even know the opponent at that point.
“Previously this summer, that was all the UFC coming to me—Spicely, Casey, both of those they came to me and offered me the fights after I said I was always willing to step up to the plate and take a fight. I want to keep this winning run going.”
In between all these fights, the Alvey family welcomed a new baby to the household, with the birth taking place between the Spicely and Casey fights. Alvey admits it’s been a hectic time, but he had always planned for it to be this way.
“I always wanted to be this busy, but I didn’t necessarily think it would all turn out like this,” Alvey said. “When I say I will fight anyone, any time, I mean it, and I think I’m among a very small group of guys that do. I’m always ready to fight, it’s normally just a matter of losing some weight. Because I’m fighting back-to-back like this, I don’t have to get myself back into shape, so it’s easy.
“It’s going to be four fights in four months—119 days to be exact. In my long career, I’ve never said 'no' to a fight. I pulled out of one because of a broken jaw, but anything short of that, I’m getting in there.”
Alvey’s wife, McKey, is a pillar of support. Even when nine months pregnant, McKey accompanied Alvey to South Dakota for his fight with Spicely and even cornered him on the night. Despite Manila being on the other side of the world in the Philippines, Alvey plans to bring the whole family along in October, too.
“My family will be there, my wife and all three kids,” Alvey said. “I have a good friend who fights in ONE Championship in Malaysia, so I think he’s going to come up and bring his girlfriend as well, and they are going to show us the city a bit.”
In Manila, Alvey will be taking on Alex Nicholson, who last fought back in July with a victory over Devin Clark. Alvey said Nicholson was someone who he had met earlier this year before his fight with Spicely, and he had nothing but good words for him.
“I met him when I fought in South Dakota,” Alvey said. “We fought on the same card there, and I really liked him. I thought he was really nice and he had a great showing against the hometown boy. It just so happened that he was looking for a fight at the same time, and it worked out well.
“I know he’s bigger than me, and I know he’s got a good punch on him—he’s fought at heavyweight, I believe, previously. We’ve been kind of joking around and calling him the 'vanilla gorilla' because it rhymes with Manila.”
Nicholson is currently embroiled in an investigation following some remarks he made while cornering his training partner, Mike Perry, in August at UFC 202. Alvey said he was taking no notice of that and judging him instead by his own experience with him.
“Someone mentioned that to me over the last couple of days,” Alvey said. “I don’t think anything of it, though. I thought he was a great guy when I met him, and he has my respect. He seemed like a very nice guy—he even prayed with me in the back before my fight, so that means a lot.
“When you are sitting outside of the cage, you try to psych up your friends and your teammates. He may have said something that probably didn’t need to come out and especially not recorded on national television. I’m not going to judge him on that though.”
If he beats Nicholson Oct. 15, Alvey won’t put his feet up with the end of the year in sight. True to his word, the philosophy stays the same—he will fight anyone, any time.
“I know the UFC is going to Madison Square Garden in November and then Toronto in December, so I think there is plenty of time for me to fight again.”
The American has already fought three times since June 18, and his next outing is booked for Oct. 15 in Manila. After losing the first of his three-fight stretch to Elias Theodorou, the hard-hitting Team Quest member Alvey has strung together wins against Eric Spicely and Kevin Casey. Suffice to say, his confidence is sky high right now, and from his point of view, he can't fight often enough.
“This time around, my wife went to the UFC and told them that I wanted on that Manchester card,” Alvey said. “Unfortunately, they said Manchester was full, but that they had an opening a week later for the card in Manila. I didn’t hesitate for a second and said I’d take it. I didn’t even know the opponent at that point.
“Previously this summer, that was all the UFC coming to me—Spicely, Casey, both of those they came to me and offered me the fights after I said I was always willing to step up to the plate and take a fight. I want to keep this winning run going.”
Busy, busy, busy—just how Alvey wants it
In between all these fights, the Alvey family welcomed a new baby to the household, with the birth taking place between the Spicely and Casey fights. Alvey admits it’s been a hectic time, but he had always planned for it to be this way.
“I always wanted to be this busy, but I didn’t necessarily think it would all turn out like this,” Alvey said. “When I say I will fight anyone, any time, I mean it, and I think I’m among a very small group of guys that do. I’m always ready to fight, it’s normally just a matter of losing some weight. Because I’m fighting back-to-back like this, I don’t have to get myself back into shape, so it’s easy.
“It’s going to be four fights in four months—119 days to be exact. In my long career, I’ve never said 'no' to a fight. I pulled out of one because of a broken jaw, but anything short of that, I’m getting in there.”
Taking the family to Manila
Alvey’s wife, McKey, is a pillar of support. Even when nine months pregnant, McKey accompanied Alvey to South Dakota for his fight with Spicely and even cornered him on the night. Despite Manila being on the other side of the world in the Philippines, Alvey plans to bring the whole family along in October, too.
“My family will be there, my wife and all three kids,” Alvey said. “I have a good friend who fights in ONE Championship in Malaysia, so I think he’s going to come up and bring his girlfriend as well, and they are going to show us the city a bit.”
Taking Nicholson at face value
In Manila, Alvey will be taking on Alex Nicholson, who last fought back in July with a victory over Devin Clark. Alvey said Nicholson was someone who he had met earlier this year before his fight with Spicely, and he had nothing but good words for him.
“I met him when I fought in South Dakota,” Alvey said. “We fought on the same card there, and I really liked him. I thought he was really nice and he had a great showing against the hometown boy. It just so happened that he was looking for a fight at the same time, and it worked out well.
“I know he’s bigger than me, and I know he’s got a good punch on him—he’s fought at heavyweight, I believe, previously. We’ve been kind of joking around and calling him the 'vanilla gorilla' because it rhymes with Manila.”
Nicholson is currently embroiled in an investigation following some remarks he made while cornering his training partner, Mike Perry, in August at UFC 202. Alvey said he was taking no notice of that and judging him instead by his own experience with him.
“Someone mentioned that to me over the last couple of days,” Alvey said. “I don’t think anything of it, though. I thought he was a great guy when I met him, and he has my respect. He seemed like a very nice guy—he even prayed with me in the back before my fight, so that means a lot.
“When you are sitting outside of the cage, you try to psych up your friends and your teammates. He may have said something that probably didn’t need to come out and especially not recorded on national television. I’m not going to judge him on that though.”
Time for a few more
If he beats Nicholson Oct. 15, Alvey won’t put his feet up with the end of the year in sight. True to his word, the philosophy stays the same—he will fight anyone, any time.
“I know the UFC is going to Madison Square Garden in November and then Toronto in December, so I think there is plenty of time for me to fight again.”