For Alvin “Goozie” Hines, there hasn’t been much time for the biggest break in his career to set in. The 7-0 heavyweight has been putting in the work to get ready for a possible opportunity on the big stage, but had no idea just how big that stage might be.
With an LFA title shot or possibly a Dana White Contender Series fight in the back of his mind, he got the call for the real deal. Not just a call to the UFC, but the chance to make his debut on a pay-per-view card in Las Vegas. As craazy as the change was, he was ready.
“I was down with at Javy’s gym in Arizona there, Ultimate Kombat, finishing up Waldo [Cortes Acosta]’s fight camp before his last fight. We were training hard and getting it in down there, and then I drove back and got the call right when I was coming back,” Hines explained. “I got a lot of good training in and just narrowing in on the game plan on what we’re gonna push at this guy. So it’s going good.”
While “Goozie” was physically ready thanks to the intensity of the training camp – that doesn’t mean the magnitude of the moment isn’t still settling in. He’s always been supported by those around him. That circle is just a bit bigger right now.
“I’m from a small town of Northern Minnesota, bro. The whole town and the neighborhood, everyone’s gonna watch it,” he said. “You know how in Texas they shut the town down for football games and stuff? Dude, they’re doing that for little old me for throwing down, man, and that, it’s still all setting in little by little.”
And, of course, while he’s trying to take in what this means for him, his family and his team, there is also the opponent standing across from him. He’ll fight kickboxer Jhonata Diniz on the prelims of UFC 317. Although everything else has not quite hit him at full force, he’s ready for the in the cage stuff.
“I wrestled through high school and after that, I didn’t like go off to college. I wasn’t a three-time state champ in high school, nothing like that,” Hines said. “But like I told other people, I’m above average on wrestling. I’m above average on striking. I’m above average in jiu jitsu. This is mixed martial arts. This ain’t just kickboxing, man. I’m an all-around kind of guy, so he’s gonna have a bad night.”
He’ll get that chance to introduce the world to his all-around style as part of the UFC 317 prelims. Those fights take place on ESPN+ this Saturday starting at 6:30pm EST.
