Sam Alvey on KO of Cezar Ferreira: It was a little surprising it happened so quick

Sam Alvey

Sam Alvey’s stoppage of Cezar Ferreira may get lost in the shuffle of a crazy night of upsets and shocking knockouts at UFC Fight Night 61, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Alvey (25-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was as high as a +310 underdog coming into the bout, but he managed to perfectly time a two-punch combination that knocked out cold the first-ever winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” Ferreira (8-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC), on Sunday.

“I knew he was going to kick me, and I was ready for it,” Alvey said backstage following the fight (watch the Alvey vs. Ferreira video highlights). “I’m impressed with the Brazilian fans cheering for me and celebrating my win. This country is incredible, and the fans are amazing.”

The win was Alvey’s second straight since dropping his first UFC fight to Tom Watson. That debut came after a fairly disappointing stint on Season 16 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Alvey was the first pick for coach Shane Carwin’s team but lost a decision in his first bout in the house.

It’s a long way from that disappointment to a winning streak on the world’s biggest MMA stage. Alvey discussed some of the changes that took place in his camp.

“I train incredibly hard with some of the greatest coaches in the world for this fight,” Alvey said after Sunday’s FOX Sports 1-televised event, which took place at Gigantinho Gymnasium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. “Ricardo Feliciano, my jiu-jitsu instructor, he made me not nervous to stand with this boy for the fear of getting taken down. I got a new kickboxing coach at the gym. His name Gokhan (Yildizli). I call him Goku because Goku is pretty sweet. He’s a Dutch kickboxer as opposed to muay Thai. It’s a lot more power. I’ve always hit hard, but I hit harder because of him.

“Then I’ve got an all-around MMA coach, Bryan Harper, and he combines everything. He helps put everything together. I had a fantastic camp, and I don’t want to say I was surprised by this knockout because that was the goal from Day One. It was a little surprising it happened so quick.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 61, check out the UFC Events section of the site.