Sam Alvey to Make UFC Debut Against Tom Watson on Aug. 16 in Maine

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Sam Alvey, a welterweight competitor on season 16 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has signed with the UFC.

Alvey will make his official Octagon debut Aug. 16 against Tom Watson at a UFC Fight Night event in Bangor, Maine. The bout is the third announced for a card which also includes Tim Boetsch versus Brad Tavares at middleweight, and Shawn Jordan versus Jack May at heavyweight.

After his stint on “TUF 16,” Alvey returned to 185 pounds and captured the Maximum Fighting Championship middleweight title in 2013. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak that features three finishes, “Smilin’ Sam” will take a significant step up in competition against a man who has had a fair amount of success in his career, but has struggled since fighting under the Zuffa banner.

Watson has suffered consecutive losses at the hands of Thales Leites and Nick Catone. With the short string many are given in the UFC’s current landscape, a win against Alvey seems like a must. The former BAMMA middleweight champion’s wins usually go one of two ways: of Watson’s 16 victories, eight have come by knockout, while seven have gone the distance.