With 13 fights in the middleweight division, which included a four-fight winning streak and a win over a former champion, it seemed odd that Sam Alvey was taking at fight at 205 pounds. 

After the fight, however, every clicked, as Alvey flattened touted Polish prospect Marcin Prachnio at the end of the first round.

Given the quick and violent introduction into the division, might light heavyweight be the new home for "Smilin’ Sam"? He spoke with the Top Turtle MMA Podcast on FloCombat ahead of his June 1 UFC Fight Night 131 bout vs. Gian Villante to discuss what the future holds.

“You know what? I’m willing to make [the move to 205] permanent, but like always, if the UFC wants me at one weight class I’ll get there,” Alvey said.

Given the option though, light heavyweight is a much more natural fit, he says. Alvey pointed out he often cut much more weight than people realized. 

“You know, I’ve always been a big 185'er," Alvey said. "People may not know, but I walk around at 230 pounds when I was fighting at 185 pounds. Now that I’m at [205], I’m still walking around at 230 pounds, but I just don’t have to cut quite as far.”

The less drastic weight cut has given Alvey new life in his training. His body feels different and he sees major changes in his camp. 

“Now that I don’t have to cut weight, I feel like my camp is just so much more fun,” he said. 

And with such a change in his camp, it’s brought Alvey a new focus and a new perspective on his MMA career. 

“When I was fighting [at] 185 pounds, I was trying to make a legacy," Alvey said. "I was trying to be part of the UFC history. I did a little bit with my fighting six times in a year. I tied Donald Cerrone’s record for most fights in a year and got there about two months faster than he got there.”

Although an ankle injury prevented him from making his seventh fight in a calendar year, Alvey is proud of the work he did at middleweight. That said, his new lease on fighting that accompanies his change to light heavyweight significantly alters his previous mindset and ambitions. 

“I’m not going to take fights on quite such a short notice as I was at middleweight,” Alvey said. “Now I’m going to take my time, have my camps, I’m going to keep consistent. I still want to fight four or five times a year, but I’m going to make sure I get my six-to-eight weeks of training in.”

Alvey expects that extra time will pay off and allow him to do something that eluded him at middleweight. 

“My goal now is that I’m going to climb the ladder to get to that title,” he said.

And if he continues to put in performances as he did in Orlando last February, we might see him sooner rather than later at the top of the shallow light heavyweight division.