Now 22 appearances into his Ultimate Fighting Championship run, Alvey will look to snap an extended drought when he squares off with Brendan Allen in a UFC Fight Night 200 middleweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 alum enters the cage on a seven-fight winless streak that has seen him go 0-6-1 and put his spot on the roster in jeopardy. Alvey last competed at UFC on ESPN 30, where he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Wellington Turman on Aug. 28.
Ahead of Alvey’s forthcoming battle with Allen, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. Small-town roots established his foundation.
Alvey was born on May 6, 1986 in Waterford, Wisconsin—a village of less than 6,000 people located some 80 miles northwest of Chicago. Tucked away in the southeast corner of the Badger State, it encompasses a little more than two square miles.
2. His talents extend beyond the cage.
“Smilin’ Sam” played the trumpet in high school and was accomplished enough with the instrument to pursue it semi-professionally while he attended college. Alvey graduated from Lakeland University in Plymouth, Wisconsin, with a degree in business management.
3. He has traded in precious metals.
Alvey was one of three men to capture the Maximum Fighting Championship middleweight title. Patrick Cote and Elvis Mutapcic were the others. Alvey struck gold at 185 pounds with a fifth-round technical knockout of Jason South at MFC 38 on Oct. 4, 2013, retained the championship with a fourth-round knockout of Wes Swofford seven months later and ultimately vacated the throne to sign with the UFC in 2014. The Canada-based MFC organization ceased operations in 2016.
4. Sprints suit him better.
The Team Quest product has gone the distance 23 times in his 51-fight career and owns an 11-11-1 record in those appearances. In bouts the end with a finish, Alvey sports a 22-5 record with one no contest. Only Julian Marquez, Jimmy Crute, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Derek Brunson and Gerald Meerschaert have managed to stop him.
5. He has quite a postcard collection.
Alvey has fought in nine different countries as a mixed martial artist. In addition to the United States, he has competed in Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.