When Alex Munoz entered his Dana White’s Contender Series fight in July 2018, the talk was all Nick Newell. When the dust settled, the conversation was all Alex Munoz.
A relative unknown, the Team Alpha Male wrestling coach played spoiler when he dominated Newell for most of the fight. Despite the impressive showing, the performance didn’t earn him a UFC deal.
Saturday, Munoz (5-0 MMA) again fights in front of the UFC brass when he partakes in a pre-recorded episode of “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.” He’ll take on fellow top prospect Troy Lamson (13-2 MMA).
The featured event, Trinity Kings 8, takes place at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. The main card streams on UFC Fight Pass.
“I really thought just by beating Nick, I’d be able to get the contract,” Munoz told MMA Junkie. “I didn’t feel like I needed to have a sense of urgency to finish the fight… I was hoping that would be enough, but it wasn’t.
“I believe everything happens for a reason and I’m at where I am now. I have another great opportunity and I’m much, much better than the day I was when I fought Nick. So I’m excited for this fight coming up next week.”
It’s been more than a year since he picked up his most prolific victory to date. So where has Munoz been? His inactivity is due to a number of factors, according to Munoz. The first is injury rehab. Equally responsible for his hiatus, however, is Munoz’s inability to get opponents to sign on the dotted line.
“I tell (my coaches) not to even ask me about opponents,” Munoz said. “If they say that’s what we’re going to do, then that’s what they’re going to do…. We pretty much say yes to just about everybody, and I can’t tell you how many fights I’ve had be turned down. Or, I’d accept them and guys get hurt. Something happens.
“In this sport, you’ve got a lot of guys who want to say they’re fighters, but don’t want to fight. It’s too bad,”
In the meantime, Munoz has been improving without competitive wear and tear. The 29-year-old lightweight continues his role as one of the top coaches at Team Alpha Male, where he helps train the likes of Andre Fili, Josh Emmett and more. It’s unusual for a rising star to coach at one of the best gyms in the world, but Munoz said he has found the perfect balance.
“It’s a great balance. I love coaching,” he said. “When you learn how to coach something and teach it, it just reestablishes it in your mind. You learn it that much better. There are a lot of skills you know and you can do them and that’s great, but you don’t know exactly why you do it until the questions are asked.
“… When people ask me why and I get these questions, it challenges me to get deeper into the problem and the stuff that I’m teaching. It helps me understand it even better. So coaching has been a real tool for me to grow as a wrestler, as a fighter, and it challenges me to get better, so I love it. I think it’s great.”
When White and company see what he has to offer during the taping of the online series, Munoz said he has no doubt he’ll earn the UFC contract. Munoz believes vast improvements will be made obvious against Lamson.
“Dana is going to be really surprised with my speed, with my power, and the strength I’m going to have in this fight,” Munoz said. “Also, (I have) a whole new set of skills that nobody has seen from me before.
“… I’m learning this game quick and I enjoy the creativity that goes into MMA and how you can really find something and learn something and help make it your own. I’ve been taking all these skills and running with them and learning a lot. I think I’m going to surprise a lot of people with this bag of tricks I’ve got.”
A year after Nick Newell win, Team Alpha Male's Alex Munoz on the cusp of UFC notoriety once again
