Rashad Evans? Adopted kid? Plans for a band? Of course Sam Alvey is smiling

MEXICO CITY – If you’re not the upbeat type – if your glass is half empty and silver linings are scarce – “Smile’n” Sam Alvey may come across downright annoying.

But that’s just the way the UFC’s perpetually upbeat middleweight goes through life.

Alvey (30-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC) continues his torrid fight schedule on Saturday, when he meets former light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (19-6-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) in a UFC Fight Night 114 main-card bout. The event takes place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico, and it airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Alvey, who already has three kids, is adopting a fourth. He was finalizing the adoption process as he got the call to fight Evans. It provided another reason to smile for the toothy fan favorite.

“We’ve got three naturally, and now we’re going to do No. 4 through adoption,” the 31-year-old told MMAjunkie with a laugh. “We’ll probably do more after that.

“I want a band. I need a band. My wife wants a team. We’ll see. I’ve got just to keep winning, and we’ll have a team.”

Starting in June 2016, Alvey registered six fights in just 10 months. He went 4-2, which included a four-fight winning streak before an April loss to former title challenger Thales Leites in April. He said he entered that fight with an ankle injury but doesn’t regret taking the fight. He also wasn’t hesitant to take on a former champ – one who’s in a skid but still one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport – on Saturday.

It’s why he didn’t hesitate to accept the Evans fight.

“It’s such an honor to fight such a legend of the sport,” he said.

Check out the full interview above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 114, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.