Former UFC fighter Sam Alvey marked his inaugural appearance with Karate Combat on Sept. 16 in the Dominican Republic. He was able to make his debut a successful one as he secured a first-round knockout in a heavyweight clash against Adam Ramos.
Following an exchange of blows with Ramos, Alvey unleashed a powerful right hook that spun his opponent around and sent him crashing onto the floor. Alvey persistently followed up with some brutal ground-and-pound strikes until the referee stepped in to protect Ramos from further harm.
Sam Alvey by nasty first round KO. 🥋#KC41 pic.twitter.com/8pb8e4owKW
— MacMally 🍀 (@MacMallyMMA) September 17, 2023
This win was very necessary for the MMA veteran, as he has been in poor form for the last few years, and for this reason he was released from the UFC. The fighter left the world’s biggest MMA promotion after a forgettable losing streak. Having been associated with the UFC since 2014, Alvey failed to win a single fight in his last nine appearances inside the octagon. In fact, his last win in the UFC came in June of 2018.
After being released from the UFC, Sam Alvey joined the B2 Fighting Series in Georgia and was featured in a fight there in May of this year against Cameron Graham. The MMA veteran finally tasted victory after a long period of almost 5 years by securing a third-round TKO.
He then signed with Karate Combat last month and emerged victorious in his first fight here too. However, the victory has brought controversy along with it. Some are calling it an honest mistake, while others feel this is ‘cheating’.
Did Sam Alvey cheat in his debut fight at Karate Combat?
Sam Alvey brought the good old ‘towel trick’ back into business during his weigh-ins before his debut at Karate Combat. When he stepped onto the scale for the first time, he could not make weight. He then asked for a towel. When the fighter stepped onto the scale this time, it looked as if he had positioned himself on the towel being held up by his team.
Sam Alvey used the towel trick to make weight for Karate Combat pic.twitter.com/9km5NuHrBk
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 15, 2023
For those unaware, this technique is commonly employed in fighting to minimize the weight measured on the scale as some of the weight of the arms is transferred to the towel, which is held by the team of the fighter or officials. This trick can help the fighter in really close calls..
Alvey used the same method and promptly stepped on and then off the scale once his weight was confirmed as acceptable. Fight fans would know that this is not something that is happening for the first time. The trick became popular when former UFC double champ Daniel Cormier used it to make weight at UFC 210 against Anthony Johnson. Till date, DC is criticized for the same.