Jump to
Longtime UFC veteran, ‘Smilin’ Sam Alvey, is now 1-0 in Karate Combat, and is preparing to fight KC’s middleweight champion, Ross ‘TURBO’ Levine for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight title at KC 43 this Friday (December 15th). With the UFC’s middleweight champion, Sean Strickland in his corner, Sam Alvey will be competing for a world title in Las Vegas.
Before doing the man dance’ this Friday night, and possibly some Ninja Turtle moves off the pit walls, Sam Alvey caught up with Bloody Elbow for an exclusive interview. Check out the audio version of this interview over on our podcast Substack.
I had to bring up the infamous towel trick that may, or may not, have happened in the Dominican Republic for Sam Alvey’s Karate Combat debut. Alvey mentioned how he’s going to have a 30-pound advantag on Karate Combat’s middleweight champion, Ross Levine, for their heavyweight tilt, and even stated how he’s willing to move down to 185-pounds to take Ross’ belt… if the price is right. When asked about an official prediction, ‘Smilin’ Sam Alvey prognosticated a flying triangle.
With UFC champ Sean Strickland in Sam Alvey’s corner, I couldn’t help but ask Sam Alvey about the situation between Sean and Ian Garry. I asked him to give some advice for Ian and Layla, to which Sam responded and said he was Team Garry, but did take issue with Ian’s comments about Neil Magny. I also inquired if Alvey thought that Strickland would give some of the other Karatekas a hard time, and Sam sure does hope Karate Combat knows what they’ve gotten themselves into.
Bloody Elbow will be on location for this event, so make sure to follow along on our social media platforms to see and hear some of the hustle and bustle. The start time for this KC 43 fight card is set for 9:00 pm ET.
Sam Alvey video interview
Sam Alvey plotting Ninja Turtle showcase
Eddie Mercado: You made your Karate Combat debut in the Dominican Republic. You won by knock out, but you seemed a little bummed that you didn’t get to use the pit walls at all. What can we expect this time?
Sam Alvey: I wanted so badly to be able to get in there and play on those walls. My foot’s healed this time. I didn’t get to play on it last time, even before the fight, because I broke my foot in camp. If you watch the video, I sat on my butt and slid down the pit wall to get in. So I was nervous, but then I went out there, got a quick knockout and didn’t have much time to think about it anyways.
Honestly, I hope that happens again this time. I hope I just knock him out real quick and don’t get to use the wall, but he’s pretty talented. So I don’t know if it’s going to work out quite like that. I’ll probably get to use my Ninja Turtle skills.
Sam Alvey on fighting the middleweight champ up at 205
EM: Ross Levine is moving up in weight, from 185 to 205. Do you think he’s going to struggle with your size?
SA: The size is definitely my advantage. I’m going to have 30-pounds on him while we’re in that pit. But same thing to be said, is he’s faster than me. Whether we’re at 85, 70, 205 he’s going to be faster than me, and it’s something I’m used to because everyone’s faster than me.
So I just got to find a way to slow him down, I got to find a way to get him pinned down, and find a way to make sure he can’t bully me. He’s going to be small for 205. He’s probably a little small for 185, but he’s been bigger than everyone else he’s been fighting. He’s been able to bully people. He’s not going to be able to bully me.
Sam Alvey or Sam Towelvey
EM: The Dominican Republic didn’t seem like the best place to be cutting weight, and you had quite an adventurous run making it to the scale, and the whole towelgate thing.
SA: I don’t know what you’re talking about haha
EM: Are you pretty confident you’re going to make championship weight?
SA: Oh yeah! So what’s today, Sunday? I’ve got four days to make weight, and I’m like 22-pounds over. I’m like, this is going to be easy. I’m just going to go in there, cut weight real quick, and be happy.
Double champ status?
EM: Would you feel inclined to give Ross an immediate rematch for any reason, or is there a rematch clause in the contract?
SA: I didn’t read the contract. I just signed it, haha. I’m joking! There is no rematch clause. It’s not his belt. Depending on if Karate Combat were to increase pay enough, I’d be willing to go down and take his middleweight belt, too. I’m not going to cut that much weight unless I’m getting paid a lot to do it. I’ve always said, I’ll fight for free, but you’re going to pay me a bunch to cut weight.
Sam Alvey was couch Surfing with Sean Strickland
EM: You said you have Sean Strickland in your corner. I saw on Instagram that you asked to crash on his couch in Vegas. Did he pull through for you?
SA: Yeah, he did one better. So he just bought his own place, on the other side of town, but his old apartment is still there for him. So he said, ‘yeah, go stay in that for a couple of days. So I’ve been staying at his old apartment. Now it’s kind of funny. It’s been cleared out, everything but a futon is out of the apartment. So I’m just kind of chilling in there playing Smash Bros on my Switch, and watching movies on my phone between training sessions.
EM: So the money and the fame hasn’t changed the UFC’s middleweight champion?
SA: He’s the same dude he has always been. His age is getting to him. Like he’s more mature now than he’s ever been before, which is a lot of fun. I got to train with him Thursday, Friday, Saturday and I got to watch him run classes, which I didn’t think I would ever get to see. I didn’t think Sean Strickland would ever be team captain of anything. But he was in there, he started the warmup, he did the rounds. It was inspiring to see him grow so much.
Karate Combat 43 prediction
EM: I spoke with Ross Levine and asked for his prediction, to which he said he was going to put you away in spectacular fashion. What is your official prediction for Friday night?
SA: It’s going to be a flying triangle that I catch him with. It’s going to be incredible. People aren’t going to know what it is. He’s going to land funny. People are going to replay it forever. NO, he’s going to kick at me, and maybe he’ll hit. It’s not going to hurt. He’s fast. I’ll find a way to catch him. My Karate is better than his Karate. We’re just going to have a good time out there.
We’re going to impress the fans. We are the true main event, although, we are not the last fight on the card, we are the main event. People are going to tune in and see me being way bigger, hitting way harder, and being bale to keep up with the little guys.
Cornered by UFC Champ Sean Strickland
EM: What sort of cornering advice do you expect to get from Sean?
SA: He and I corner similarly. He’s cornered me in the UFC before, and I have for him as well. And keep it simple. Keep your hands up. Hit ’em. Quit stalling. Hit ’em, which is really all I ever need to really hear. Hit ’em. Keep pushing forward. Quit backing up. Hit ’em. He’s going to be screaming that as hard as he can.
Strickland vs. The Karatekas
EM: Do you think Sean is going to give some of the other Karatekas a hard time?
SA: Haha, I can see him doing that, haha. Karate Combat is thrilled he’s going to be there, but I don’t think they’re prepared for what he’s going to say about Karate, haha, and that type of fighting. Haha, we’ll see what comes up. Maybe he’ll be on his best behavior.
Sam Alvey’s advice for Ian Garry
EM: Sean called out Ian Garry and his wife, criticizing their relationship. Your wife, McKee, has cornered you for how long now, for how many fights? She’s right there in this crazy circus that is the fight game. Do you have any advice for Ian and Layla on how to navigate a situation like this?
SA: This too shall pass. I made a video, I don’t know, a couple of days after Sean made his. I met them at Karate Combat down in the Dominican Republic. I didn’t know who he was, or really who she was. They just seemed like a happily married couple. So I made that video and put it out there, and Sean responded. He’s been teasing me about it since I moved out here, ‘Oh she’s this, she’s that.’ I said that’s not the impression I got. They seemed like a loving couple.
I’m on Team Garry I suppose, BUT he made fun of Neil Magny, and you don’t do that. Neil is like the most-beloved guy in MMA. So I see why people are willing to jump on him, because if you’re going to go after Neil, then I guess you deserve something. But I think Sean is going after him for the wrong thing. He should have gone after him for the Neil comments.
Did Strickland cross the line?
EM: Do you think Sean crossed the line a little bit?
SA: Eh, they’re big boys. If it bothered Ian so much, they can fight. Given, Ian is a weight class or two smaller than Sean, but I don’t care if it’s Francis Ngannou started talking s*** about my wife, I wouldn’t let it stand. I’d go kick his a**, or die trying, and probably die trying. But I would make sure the world knew that I wasn’t going to let it happen.
They’re in a different situation than I am because they both work for the same company, and they’re both rising stars and all that. So just let it be. I would just ignore it, it’s like the key to everything. Just ignore it and it’ll pass eventually. People will forget it ever happened. Ian keeps firing back a little bit, but he’s just not landing that shot. Sean’s untouchable. you’re not going to say anything that bothers Sean, or that cancels Sean, so I would just ignore it and act like it didn’t happen.
The complete Sam Alvey video interview is towards the top of the page, and contains much more ‘Smilin’ Sam Alvey!
Karate Combat 43 fight card
- – Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson: 170-pounds
- – Ross Levine vs. Sam Alvey: Vacant Heavyweight Championship
- – Omaira Molina vs. Melinda Fábián: Vacant Bantamweight Title
- – Raymond Daniels vs. Bruno Souza: Catchweight
- – Gorjan Slaveski vs. Brandon Jenkins: Welterweight
- – Freddy Masabo vs. Batgerel Danaa: Lightweight
- – Shannon Hudson vs. Chinzo Machida: Catchweight
- – Elijah Everill vs. Javier Arteaga: Lightweight
- – Loxbey Montalvan vs. Gabriel Diaz: Bantamweight
- – Jordan Lee Barker vs. Damian Villa: Bantamweight
Disclosure: Karate Combat is covering the author’s travel expenses to this event.
Bloody Elbow merch now available
Bloody Elbow is pleased to announce our partnership with Revgear. They have been a pioneer in the MMA gear industry and have grown into a formidable brand and true leader in the market. Revgear now have Bloody Elbow t-shirts, hoodies and hats so you can show your support for independent MMA journalism.
