White Expects Alvey To Return, Undecided On Lee

Longtime MMA veteran Sam Alvey, who turned 35 back in May, continued his winless ways at the UFC Vegas 35 event last weekend in Las Vegas, losing a split decision to Brazilian prospect Wellington Turman on the “Barboza vs. Chikadze” undercard.

The loss left “Smile’N” Sam at 0-6-1 across his last seven fights.

But don’t expect UFC president Dana White to be handing out any pink slips just yet. After all, the promotion famously loves “guys that WAR!” and it appears Alvey (33-16-1, 1 NC) — a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 16 — is no exception.

“He’s one of those guys that’s so tough, that’s so durable, that always fights his ass off, that always shows up and will take on anybody, anywhere. We love guys like that. We love guys that actually show up to fight,” White told reporters at the UFC Vegas 35 post-fight press conference.

“It’s easy to get here. You get to the point where maybe you’ve lost three in a row, and this is your fourth fight after three losses,” White continued. “At some point during the fight, you can tell. ‘Alright, this guy’s just here to get his paycheck.’ You never see that with a guy like Sam Alvey. We love those types of people, we respect those types of people, and that’s why he’s still here.”

It doesn’t sound like former lightweight title contender Kevin Lee, who now competes in the 170-pound division, will be afforded the same wiggle room after losing to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 35, pushing “The Motown Phenom” to 2-5 over his last seven.

“That’s a good question,” White told reporters about the future of Lee. “Again, that’s a thing that we will get together on Tuesday and talk about and figure out what’s next for him … you know, here or not here.”

Lee (18-7), who made his Octagon debut all the way back in early 2014, is still just 28 years old and his Rodriguez fight was the first since major knee surgery, a setback that kept “The Motown Phenom” out of the cage for over a year.

“My best performances are ahead of me and I know that,” Lee wrote on Instagram. “I don’t care if I have to bump my head to get there I won’t stop until I figure this shit out. I’m still competing with the best in the world and won’t hang my head just yet. If you have something negative to say fuck you from bottom of my heart. Fuck all the hate y’all can burn in hell. And thank you to everyone who has reached out with love. I’m not done yet. Not at all.”

For more results and fallout from UFC Vegas 35 click here.