Issue 152

March 2017

UFC middleweight

Alias: Smile’n,

Team: Team Quest,

Record: 33-12-0.

Sam Alvey may not be in a position to fight for the UFC middleweight title just yet, but almost 40 fights into his career, he’s got plenty of reasons to show off his toothy grin.

With over a decade in the sport and nearly 40 pro fights banked, who is your dream fight?

Whoever has the title. Right now it would be Michael Bisping. I love Michael Bisping as a champion. I didn’t think I would when I started following the UFC. I am a little bent on him beating my coach (Dan Henderson), but I think he is a great champion.

I like what he does for the sport and I like his style.

You mentioned your coach, Dan Henderson. What’s it like being a member of an iconic gym like Team Quest and training under him?

It’s inspiring to know so much greatness has come from this gym.

More than that, so much greatness has come just from being around Dan. He is the epitome of what a legend is. I joke that I love fighting so much that I hope to do it one day longer than Dan did just to be able to say I did it longer than Dan did.

Which other figures in MMA inspire you?

I know it’s a clichéd guy to pick but I have to say Anderson Silva. He is the best that has ever been. I love watching him. Frankie Edgar is another one. Then my buddy and training partner, Sean Strickland. He is an insanely good fighter and I love that he beats me up so well.

Your wife has been in your corner literally and figuratively. How important is she?

I wouldn’t have the career I have without her. She knows more about the sport than I do. She knows the ins and outs. She is amazing. She raises our kids.

She keeps me on track. She is as good as a coach and corner as anyone could wish for. I love every second I get to be with her in or out of the Octagon. She knows me better than anyone else. She has been with me from fight one.

She knows what I like. She knows what I need to hear. She sees what the other guy is going to do. She has a gift for this cornering thing. Even when she corners our friends, she just does a good job with it.

The no-contest on your record was down to heavy rain, what’s that all about?

It was against Paul Bradley. We fought at King of the Cage in northern Wisconsin. It was an outdoor fight. We were the main event. During the co-main event it started raining so the mat was wet.

The promoter told us that it was going to be a no-contest no matter what, but if we fought he would give us each an extra thousand dollars. That sounded good to me. He agreed and we went out there and fought. It was a downpour. It was like a scene from a movie. You couldn’t stand up on the mat.

Every jab I threw, my foot was slipping. He kind of shot and I kind of sprawled. We just slipped around for the rest of the round. That was a very memorable fight.

Why have you fought overseas so much in your career? Is that something you enjoy?

I have always said I never made any money fighting. I never did it because I was going to become rich doing it. I did it because I liked doing it. What I did get to do is see the world. With the smaller organizations, I always fought for the travel. I always fought so I could get to see new things.

Now I am in the UFC I am making some decent money and why not still see some things? My last fight in Mexico happened to be taking place on their Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos. I got to go to Mexico City on their biggest holiday and be a part of that. That is something people just don’t get to do. It was very cool.

When did your smile become your signature?

My dad said it first. He said ‘Smile’n’ Sam Alvey. I have always loved what I do. I think the UFC is a bunch of suckers because they pay me a whole bunch to do something I would do for free.

When I get in that cage, I smile. I am getting to do something so few people get to do. I get to do it with my family – with my wife, my kids and my friends. There is no reason on earth not to smile.