“The Natural” is back in the UFC.
It’s not UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Nor is it the welterweight who lost in three appearances in the Octagon from 2000-2006. Not exactly.
No, Duncan, B.C.’s John Alessio, who returns to the UFC after more than five years to take on Woodbridge, Ont.’s Mark Bocek at UFC 145 on Saturday but this time as a lightweight, is a totally different fighter with a different outlook.
Having to wait half a decade to get back to the big show will certainly make you patient. So when Alessio got the call on April 2 that he was finally headed back to the UFC, he was overcome by excitement.
And there was no kidding this time.
Why do we say that? Because the day before he had posted an April Fool’s Joke on Twitter and Facebook saying he was giving up his dream since it didn’t look like it was going to happen.
And he managed to get a few people.
"Yeah I did, the way I said it was kind of like heartfelt. A lot of people did buy into it and to get the phone call the next day was kind of like it was pre-planned, even though it wasn’t," Alessio told sportsnet.ca. "I didn’t know the UFC was going to call, but it worked out really well I guess you could say."
Alessio admitted he wasn’t always so sure it was going to work out, especially with the number of fighters out there eager to get to the UFC.
"There’s always that little thing in your mind like maybe it’s not going to happen … But it didn’t really make me ever want to quit fighting. I wasn’t thinking about hanging it up. This is what I do. I love MMA. Of course I wanted to be on the biggest stage, so that was always my goal. Giving up was just not an option."
The truth is after a pro MMA career that goes back to 1998 and having tasted the UFC three times already and still without a win to show for it, he wasn’t going away that easily. And when he did get the call, even if it was as a short-notice replacement, he wasn’t hesitating.
And he was thankful.
"I just (had) an overwhelming feeling of being blessed, my perseverance and hard work is paying off."
It has certainly been hard work. Alessio last fought in the UFC in 2006 (at 170 pounds) but after that he continued a fairly successful stint in the WEC, where he went 5-2. That earned him a fight against Brock Larson with the winner promised a title shot at then-champion Carlos Condit (whom he already lost to at the time).
Unfortunately, Alessio was disqualified for a knee to the head of Larson as he was getting up from the mat. It was somewhat questionable — if Larson’s knee was still touching, it was very close and Alessio wasn’t trying to break the rule by the blow. But he was definitely irked by the way Larson handled it and some words were exchanged.
Even worse than that, it appeared Zuffa (which owned the WEC and UFC at the time) did not take kindly to his attitude and his time with the organization was promptly cut short. As he worked hard to get back to the UFC and found plenty of success — he’s now won 10 of his past 11 fights — he wondered if that episode may have played a role in why it took so long for him to return.
"I did go on a little bit of a rant about how I felt about (Larson) and called him some names and stuff, so yeah I think that might have played a little bit of a factor in it. But at the same time, I’ve never done anything wrong with PEDs, or drugs or missing weight, or anything else that was crazy like getting arrested or all these things. So how bad is lipping somebody off really? (The UFC) always wants us to pump up the fight and talk a little smack, so all that was just came from my heart, I was mad.
"It was very hard to swallow. I mean, I trained so hard for that fight, so there was just a lot of passion there. But I’ve learned from my mistakes that sometimes, things are just better left unsaid."
Alessio said he did dwell on that loss and his desire to get a rematch against Larson.
"For the longest time, I wanted to get that (loss) back. He got on the mic right after it happened and was like, ‘I just beat Alessio, looks like I’m getting my title shot,’ and I was like ‘Dude you didn’t beat me.’ That upset me, and that fuelled my fire."
But Alessio said it’s ancient history now. Larson went on to win once more in the WEC and then joined the UFC when it absorbed the welterweight division. He won his first two in the Octagon but then dropped two straight and was cut.
Larson is currently on a two-fight losing streak, losing in Brazil last month, around the same time Alessio was defeating Ryan Healy in Hamilton for his third straight victory to get the UFC’s attention.
"When it comes down to it, why bother barking up that tree when there are so many better challenges out there?" Alessio said. "Now I’m at a different weight class, so I’m not even worried about him."
Alessio actually got a call to fight Matt Riddle in the UFC in Montreal in December 2010 as a late-replacement but chose to turn it down because he was already committed to another couple shows. (Toronto’s Sean Pierson ended up taking the fight and winning.) Alessio figured he would get another chance soon. But then he lost to Siyar Bahadurzada in March 2011, and it was back to the drawing board.
Since then Alessio has won three straight — two at lightweight — and he went on a pretty heavy social media campaign to get back to the UFC.
Alessio, who now lives and trains full-time in Las Vegas, believes there are lots of reasons to expect he’ll have success this time around.
“Maturity will have a lot to do with it and being a lot more experienced now," Alessio said. "I trained a lot harder now. I’ve got amazing coaches behind me that have me well prepared. I’ve got more power in my hands than I’ve ever had. My jiu-jitsu’s better than it ever has been."
At 32, Alessio also believe he’s coming into his prime in age. And his health is a lot better as he’s following the famous Dolce Diet.
"I’m very dedicated and I don’t cheat really unless I’m told it’s okay on this day. I’m very disciplined.
"So ‘The Natural’ is back in the UFC, but it’s a different one."
He said part of it is also a slight change in image.
"The nickname thing was more in the beginning of my career. I’m kind of just past a lot of that stuff, with the fancy hairdos and painted nails and call me this, and really talking. I just want my fight to do the talking and me to do the walking kind of thing. And just be a humble warrior."
True to that new form, Alessio appeared at Friday’s weigh-ins with a very simply haircut. Nothing sticking up. No bleached blond. And he and his opponent had a nice respectful staredown.
"I have a lot of things to be blessed for in my life. I’ve changed a lot, I’ve grown a lot. I just want to go out there and be myself and put on the best fight and I want to be a positive role model to aspiring fighters and fans out there."
But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up the nickname entirely.
"I will always be The Natural. It’s tattooed on my back. But yeah, I just want people to know I’m John Alessio. I’m a positive, nice person… but I like to scrap."
