PIONEER VILLAGE — One of the firefighters at Zoneton Fire isn't just fighting fires.
Blake Albee, a recent addition to the division, is also pursuing a career as a mixed martial artist.
The long road to a professional MMA career will lead to a short drive as he competes on the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) 180 card on March 29th at Broadbent Arena in Louisville.
This was Albee's seventh match, and his record is 4 wins and 2 losses. He will represent Future of Fighting, a team coached by Area 502 MMA owner Phillip Perkins.
“The LFA is mostly professional fighters (fighters), with a few amateurs as well,” Albee said. “It's a step back from Ultimate Fighting Championship. This is a pretty big deal for me.”
Alvey, who grew up in Louisville and now lives in Taylorsville, began his career as a full-time firefighter in December. The firefighter job was offered by Marcus Hudson of Full Moon Martial Arts in Okolona, who previously worked with Albee at Area 502.
“It's hard to build, train and pursue a career in MMA,” he said. “The reason I chose Zoneton was because there was a fire academy there.”
Mr. Alvey previously worked as an entry-level motorcycle mechanic and then worked in automotive development at Walmart.
“I liked the hands-on, problem-solving aspect of it,” he said. “Firefighting is no different. I thought it would be fun, but also a good and responsible career.”
Albee was first bitten by the mixed martial arts bug at the age of 14, when he first considered pursuing a career.
“It sounded cool,” he said. “I thought of myself as a superhero. I loved track and field, but I was never a big guy. I ran a half marathon at age 8. I never wanted to pursue that. I haven't found any other sport where that makes sense.”
In fact, Alvey considered his three reality checks in life to be “mixed martial arts, graduating from high school, and being a firefighter.”
“The kind of person you want in mixed martial arts is the kind of person I want to be,” he said. “I always felt insecure, but now I've learned my lesson. I can do anything in the world if I put myself in the right mindset. I've been given a purpose in life.”
At age 20, Albie was a student during the coronavirus pandemic, stuck at home and missing out on some of the fun school activities.
“We were faced with a difficult question of what to do,” he says. “I had a passion for MMA, it excited me, and I believed I was the person it needed to be to get good at MMA. This is where I want to be in life. Essentially, it's my passion and my purpose.”
When Albee first started training at Area 502, like any new candidate, he had his initial bumps.
“They introduced me to it, and they tore me apart,” he admitted. “Then I thought about size, learned techniques, and developed size.”
Albee's first official game was in front of family and friends, including his parents Bob and Stacey. At the time, the final victory was his proudest achievement and a “fairytale moment” in his career.
“When you see somebody go out, there’s a lot of energy in the room,” he said of the game. “It's like a human test. When I won at the end, I could see my family jumping for joy. My parents were so proud to see that I did it on my own. Now they're much more on board. My mom is a little more supportive… She's my biggest fan.”
Still an amateur entering his seventh fight, Alvey admitted that while he continues to learn and master the art of MMA performance, he is better off staying as is for now.
“I'm learning more at the amateur level,” he said. “Once you go pro, you can't go back. The pros are fighting to feed their kids, but it's more survival, it's more brutal. I'm just waiting to get as much experience as possible. I’m waiting for my chance.”
Albee said the LFA is a step below the UFC, which is considered the premier MMA league. LFA features cards from all over the United States and internationally.
“It's even more rare for an amateur to be on the card,” he says. “This is pretty big for me. Broadbent Arena is going to be the biggest arena I've ever fought in.”
Future of Fighting is a local promotion with a handful of MMA fighters and five-star boxers. Albee said the team provided a solid coaching foundation for everyone involved. His first training upon promotion included Jiu-Jitsu techniques.
“My foundation is as a grappler,” he said. “Since then, I've developed a better hitting style. I'm more like a general…I consider myself a strategist.”
Albee is confident in his skills and basically excited to compete in such a big event in front of his home crowd. He hopes this moment will be as big a personal highlight as his first experience in the Octagon.
“You have to be 18 years old, and I've been planning this since I was 15,” he said. “I've been training and making sacrifices throughout my teens. I turned 18 a week before my first fight. My opponent tapped out in the first round. I looked out and saw the crowd. Inside, I realized that everyone who had ever cared for me had lost their minds. It was a moment I'll never forget, and the satisfaction of that moment.”
LFA 180 is scheduled to begin in March at 6:30 p.m. 29th at Broadbent Arena. Albee's bout will be a featherweight bout against Hayden “Honey” Russell, who enters the bout with a 2-0 record.
Alvey is officially sponsored by Upper Kuts Barber Shop and Gary Muncy Muscular Therapy and is open to further sponsorships. For more information, please email alvey.investments@gmail.com.
