Sam Alvey vs. Wellington Turman Set for UFC Vegas 35

Sam Alvey UFC San Antonio
Sam Alvey Credit: Rodney James Edgar/Cageside Press

While Sam Alvey didn’t make it to the cage this past weekend, he does have a fresh fight lined up already.

That should put a smile on his face at least. Alvey (33-15-1, 1NC) was supposed to face Roman Kopylov at UFC Vegas 33 on Saturday. The fight wound up scrapped, however, when Kopylov was unable to obtain a visa to enter the United States. With the fight cancelled, Alvey has instead been paired up with Wellington Turman at UFC Vegas 35 on August 28.

UFC officials announced the new booking as part of the updates to the ever-changing UFC Vegas 33 card, which resembled Frankenstein’s Monster when it finally arrived Saturday.

Alvey likely enters the fight with his job on the line. The popular middleweight, who returned to the weight class in his last bout after a stint at 205lbs, has lost five of his last six, with the remaining fight in that span being a draw against Da Un Jung.

Were it not for a Fight of the Night showing against Julian Marquez in April, Alvey might already have been shown the door. But as a fan favorite, he’s got a little extra breathing room.

Turman (16-5) last competed in June, losing via knockout against Bruno Silva. It was the Brazilian’s second consecutive defeat, leaving him with a 1-3 record in the octagon.

UFC Vegas 35 (UFC on ESPN 30) takes place August 28 at the Apex in Las Vegas. A featherweight showdown between Edson Barboza and Giga Chikadze headlines.