One to Watch: Elias Theodorou vs. Sam Alvey

UFC 199 may have only materialized two weeks ago, yet MMA seems a world away from the UFC's last event.

The beloved Kimbo Slice passed away, while the United Kingdom now has its first ever UFC champion in Michael Bisping. Ariel Helwani and his MMA Fighting colleagues were barred from receiving UFC credentials before being reinstated after days of mainstream media mayhem—and Mark Hunt was announced as Brock Lesnar's opponent at UFC 200. That's just a brief cross-section of MMA news to have emerged during this time.

However, the UFC show rolls on as ever and in some style. UFC Fight Night 89, stylised as UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson, will be the UFC's first ever event in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, and is headlined by the country's most beloved active MMA fighter in Rory MacDonald, who takes on spectacular striking starlet Stephen Thompson.

The quality of that fight, especially in terms of intrigue, is replicated throughout the UFC Fight Night 89 card, which is to be hosted in Ottawa's TD Place on Saturday night.

The main card features at least one Canadian in each contest—which sees top-level fights such as Quebec's own Patrick Cote taking on fan-favorite Donald Cerrone, former UFC strawweight title contender Valerie Letourneau squaring off against Scotland's Joanne Calderwood, and fellow French-Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier facing French boxer Thibault Gouti.

Despite those bouts listed above, it's the UFC Fight Pass 'main event' equivalent between Elias "The Spartan" Theodorou and "Smile'n" Sam Alvey which provides the most interesting match-up shy of the true main event of the evening.

Both men are graduates from The Ultimate Fighter with Theodorou winning his season while Alvey crashed out in the first stage of his respective season, having been picked first of all fighters by former UFC heavyweight interim champion Shane Carwin.

Now boasting a record of 12-1, Theodorou's TUF success saw him walk straight into the UFC roster. After defeating Maximum Fighting Championship veteran Sheldon Westcott by TKO in the final, the Mississauga, Ontario, native continued his run of wins by defeating Bruno Santos by unanimous decision and Roger Narvaez by TKO. However, the Canadian's first taste of MMA defeat occurred at the tail end of 2015 as he lost to Thiago Santos by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 80.

While Alvey wasn't as fortunate during his run on The Ultimate Fighter, Smile'n arguably has the more impressive wins in his UFC tenure. With a record of 26-7, 17 of those wins coming via knockout, Alvey had to rebuild his MMA career in the aforementioned Maximum Fighting Championship after his TUF adventure was cut short.

Fighting out of Dan Henderson's Team Quest gym in Temecula, California, Alvey earned his UFC call-up having won the MFC middleweight title against Jason South and successfully defending his belt versus Wes Swofford. His UFC debut didn't go exactly to plan—losing a back-and-forth unanimous decision to experienced British brawler Tom Watson—but, he earned consecutive first-round knockout victories over Dylan Andrews, Vitor Belfort's understudy Cezar Ferreira in a huge upset at the time, before finishing his run of KO wins over Dan Kelly. Alvey's last fight saw him lose to Derek Brunson—a big step up in competition. But, the rivalry between Alvey and Theodorou has been brewing for some time following the American's victory over Kelly in Australia, which led to Alvey calling his Canadian counterpart out for a future fight.

Alvey shared his take on the fight's beginnings to MMAjunkie: "I had just fought in Australia, I got my hand raised, and they gave me the microphone and I said, 'Elias, I'm coming for you—let's do this. I'll make it a hair vs. hair match. Why not?' He shot it down immediately and hard for like seven months. He just wouldn't do it—didn't want the fight. It was this, it was that—he didn't want it. Then he lost his last fight, and it was a good fight, but he lost it and couldn't say no anymore."

Despite Alvey's assertions that Theodorou never wanted to fight him, The Spartan's comments on his extensive, lengthy studying of Alvey suggests otherwise. "I think Sam Alvey is a very game opponent," Theodorou said. "He's got more experience, he's got 20 more fights than me. With that being said, I think there are diminishing returns in regard to his mileage. He recently broke his jaw in training, and with that, he also has a bum knee. I'm very creepy. I know everything about everyone. I'm so creepy. I'd be the worst stalker girlfriend."

The clearest sign of a fighter's durability and emotional intelligence is how they deal with their first loss. This will be Theodorou's first contest since enduring the inaugural blemish on his record and it will be telling to see how he responds to defeat and if he has learned any lessons from that experience. His interview with the Toronto Sun suggests things look promising in that regard: "It was the first time I've ever lost a round, but with that being said it's one of my favourite fights. Even my dad, he said 'It proves you have (guts).'

"(Santos) was on a four-fight winning streak and I'm the only person to not be obliterated in the first round. I outstruck him in the first round and he's a three-time Muay Thai champion, so there's so much to be taken from that. It wasn't working for me but I was being stubborn and trying to double down on the wrong thing. I think that was what mentally fatigued me. My body, I was in the best shape I've ever been in and I learned that it's something where you get really frustrated from that."

Since that loss, Theodorou has also moved to train at Montreal's famed Tristar Gym under esteemed coach Firas Zahabi. "For this fight, with Firas being in the leadership role for my camp, I felt it was time. Toronto, I love it, it's my home, but with that being said you never want to be the best in the room and you always want to be chasing someone.

"Just the travel time, too, in order to get the proper training I save about 17 hours in my week just being right next to the gym at Tristar. That's more time for recovery or just to read a book and everything in between. With that, I'm able to grow as a fighter."

With both men coming off losses, they will be desperate to right those wrongs experienced in their last fights. It's also a classic contest of contrasting styles. Sam Alvey's grappling is largely limited to stuffing takedowns to utilise his clear boxing advantages with good power, timing and accuracy in his punches. As Theodorou's last contest against Thiago Santos proved, he has a tremendous chin and boasts high-level cardio to compliment his grinding, wrestling style.

While stacked, the middleweight division is in dire need of new blood considering the age of the 185lbs limit's stars. There's no telling if either man will really reach that title contender level in the future, but a win over the other will definitely move up the middleweight mix going forward. UFC 199 may have only materialized two weeks ago, yet MMA seems a world away from the UFC's last event.

The beloved Kimbo Slice passed away, while the United Kingdom now has its first ever UFC champion in Michael Bisping. Ariel Helwani and his MMA Fighting colleagues were barred from receiving UFC credentials before being reinstated after days of mainstream media mayhem—and Mark Hunt was announced as Brock Lesnar's opponent at UFC 200. That's just a brief cross-section of MMA news to have emerged during this time.

However, the UFC show rolls on as ever and in some style. UFC Fight Night 89, stylised as UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson, will be the UFC's first ever event in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, and is headlined by the country's most beloved active MMA fighter in Rory MacDonald, who takes on spectacular striking starlet Stephen Thompson.

The quality of that fight, especially in terms of intrigue, is replicated throughout the UFC Fight Night 89 card, which is to be hosted in Ottawa's TD Place on Saturday night.

The main card features at least one Canadian in each contest—which sees top-level fights such as Quebec's own Patrick Cote taking on fan-favorite Donald Cerrone, former UFC strawweight title contender Valerie Letourneau squaring off against Scotland's Joanne Calderwood, and fellow French-Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier facing French boxer Thibault Gouti.

Despite those bouts listed above, it's the UFC Fight Pass 'main event' equivalent between Elias "The Spartan" Theodorou and "Smile'n" Sam Alvey which provides the most interesting match-up shy of the true main event of the evening.

Both men are graduates from The Ultimate Fighter with Theodorou winning his season while Alvey crashed out in the first stage of his respective season, having been picked first of all fighters by former UFC heavyweight interim champion Shane Carwin.

Now boasting a record of 12-1, Theodorou's TUF success saw him walk straight into the UFC roster. After defeating Maximum Fighting Championship veteran Sheldon Westcott by TKO in the final, the Mississauga, Ontario, native continued his run of wins by defeating Bruno Santos by unanimous decision and Roger Narvaez by TKO. However, the Canadian's first taste of MMA defeat occurred at the tail end of 2015 as he lost to Thiago Santos by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 80.

While Alvey wasn't as fortunate during his run on The Ultimate Fighter, Smile'n arguably has the more impressive wins in his UFC tenure. With a record of 26-7, 17 of those wins coming via knockout, Alvey had to rebuild his MMA career in the aforementioned Maximum Fighting Championship after his TUF adventure was cut short.

Fighting out of Dan Henderson's Team Quest gym in Temecula, California, Alvey earned his UFC call-up having won the MFC middleweight title against Jason South and successfully defending his belt versus Wes Swofford. His UFC debut didn't go exactly to plan—losing a back-and-forth unanimous decision to experienced British brawler Tom Watson—but, he earned consecutive first-round knockout victories over Dylan Andrews, Vitor Belfort's understudy Cezar Ferreira in a huge upset at the time, before finishing his run of KO wins over Dan Kelly. Alvey's last fight saw him lose to Derek Brunson—a big step up in competition. But, the rivalry between Alvey and Theodorou has been brewing for some time following the American's victory over Kelly in Australia, which led to Alvey calling his Canadian counterpart out for a future fight.

Alvey shared his take on the fight's beginnings to MMAjunkie: "I had just fought in Australia, I got my hand raised, and they gave me the microphone and I said, 'Elias, I'm coming for you—let's do this. I'll make it a hair vs. hair match. Why not?' He shot it down immediately and hard for like seven months. He just wouldn't do it—didn't want the fight. It was this, it was that—he didn't want it. Then he lost his last fight, and it was a good fight, but he lost it and couldn't say no anymore."

Despite Alvey's assertions that Theodorou never wanted to fight him, The Spartan's comments on his extensive, lengthy studying of Alvey suggests otherwise. "I think Sam Alvey is a very game opponent," Theodorou said. "He's got more experience, he's got 20 more fights than me. With that being said, I think there are diminishing returns in regard to his mileage. He recently broke his jaw in training, and with that, he also has a bum knee. I'm very creepy. I know everything about everyone. I'm so creepy. I'd be the worst stalker girlfriend."

The clearest sign of a fighter's durability and emotional intelligence is how they deal with their first loss. This will be Theodorou's first contest since enduring the inaugural blemish on his record and it will be telling to see how he responds to defeat and if he has learned any lessons from that experience. His interview with the Toronto Sun suggests things look promising in that regard: "It was the first time I've ever lost a round, but with that being said it's one of my favourite fights. Even my dad, he said 'It proves you have (guts).'

"(Santos) was on a four-fight winning streak and I'm the only person to not be obliterated in the first round. I outstruck him in the first round and he's a three-time Muay Thai champion, so there's so much to be taken from that. It wasn't working for me but I was being stubborn and trying to double down on the wrong thing. I think that was what mentally fatigued me. My body, I was in the best shape I've ever been in and I learned that it's something where you get really frustrated from that."

Since that loss, Theodorou has also moved to train at Montreal's famed Tristar Gym under esteemed coach Firas Zahabi. "For this fight, with Firas being in the leadership role for my camp, I felt it was time. Toronto, I love it, it's my home, but with that being said you never want to be the best in the room and you always want to be chasing someone.

"Just the travel time, too, in order to get the proper training I save about 17 hours in my week just being right next to the gym at Tristar. That's more time for recovery or just to read a book and everything in between. With that, I'm able to grow as a fighter."

With both men coming off losses, they will be desperate to right those wrongs experienced in their last fights. It's also a classic contest of contrasting styles. Sam Alvey's grappling is largely limited to stuffing takedowns to utilise his clear boxing advantages with good power, timing and accuracy in his punches. As Theodorou's last contest against Thiago Santos proved, he has a tremendous chin and boasts high-level cardio to compliment his grinding, wrestling style.

While stacked, the middleweight division is in dire need of new blood considering the age of the 185lbs limit's stars. There's no telling if either man will really reach that title contender level in the future, but a win over the other will definitely move up the middleweight mix going forward.