The second fight of the UFC Mexico City main card saw struggling former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, now a middleweight, take on the man with the best smile in the fight game, Sam Alvey. Evans was badly in need of a win, while for Alvey, the bout was arguably the biggest of his career.
‘Suga’ Rashad Evans showed a lot of movement early, while Alvey patiently moved forward, looking for an opening. Evans connected first with a leg kick, and before Alvey landed a strike of his own the former champ shot in for a takedown. Alvey, however, was able to defend and stayed on his feet. He could not, however, defend a second, persistent attempt from Evans, who eventually pulled Alvey’s legs out from under him alongside the cage. Muscling back to his feet, Alvey was able to land a solid knee and create some space between the pair. In the final minute of round one Evans connected with a right, but Alvey came back and landed as well. Evans looked to score another takedown just as the bell sounded, but couldn’t complete it.
The second round saw Evans land a hard kick early, but Alvey connected with a hard right, and seemed a little more active than in the first. Evans went high with a head kick that was blocked. A right from Alvey connected again a moment later. Evans then changed levels and secured another takedown, his first since round one. Once again, Alvey was again able to get back up quickly. With Alvey the aggressor, it seemed as if Evans was trying to avoid engaging on the feet, but was not able to get Alvey to the ground nearly often enough. Alvey, meanwhile, more often than not a counterpuncher, seemed thrown off his game by being the one pressing the fight.
Prior to round three, ref Big John warned the fighters to get active. Evans landed a leg kick within the first minute; again Alvey was the aggressor. Evans connected with a left hook with about ninety seconds gone from the round, then tied the fight up alongside the fence looking for another takedown. Alvey fought him off, and they moved back to the middle. Evans would later land a right and follow it up with a takedown attempt, but his attempts seemed to stall, as he wasn’t powering through them to the finish. That allowed Alvey to stay standing and move forward, but he wasn’t connecting consistently, and by mid-round the crowd was getting restless. In the end it would go to the judges, who deemed Alvey did a little more than the former champ.
Sam Alvey def. Rashad Evans by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
