T. Pitbull will have his first fight in his hometown. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook Thiagothepitbullalves
the carioca Thiago Pitbull will fulfill his dream of being able to fight in his hometown this weekend. In a recent interview with 'Combate', the Brazilian fighter promised a real war against his Argentine rival in the duel that will take place next Saturday (11), at UFC 237. The athlete faces the Argentine, newcomer to Ultimate in the second fight on the main card.
“I know he doesn’t have as much experience as me. This will be his biggest fight. I've been in his situation. I've fought a lot more experienced guys when I was younger, so I know what to expect. It's about preparing to impose my game and put an end to it quickly. We will meet in the middle and come out on top, and one will fall first”, explained the athlete.
There is no doubt about Thiago's experience. The athlete debuted in the UFC in 2005, almost 14 years ago. Alves is one of the fighters with the most history in the organization. 'Pitbull' has already faced big names in the history of Ultimate, however, his greatest moment was when he challenged for the welterweight title (up to 77kg.) against the legendary Georges St-Pierre, in 2009, at UFC 100. On that occasion, the Brazilian was defeated by unanimous decision of the judges.
After years with the company, Thiago ventured into the lightweight division (up to 70,3kg), but the athlete suffered from problems reaching the weight limit and, in the only contest in the category, he was defeated by Jim Miller in 2016.
After the frustration, the Brazilian returned to the welterweight division in 2017 with a victory over Canadian Patrick Cônté. Since then, the fighter has performed three times, being defeated on two occasions.
Asked if there would be a rivalry between Brazil and Argentina inherited by football, 'Pitbull' made a point of minimizing the possibility.
“I see him wanting to take my family’s money. That's what I see. I go with that mentality. I'm going there to destroy it and emerge victorious. That's my focus. But I know there is a bit of rivalry between Brazilians and Argentines, and I will try to take advantage of that too.
Thiago Alves, 35 years old, has 33 fights on his record. Of them, he has 22 wins and 11 losses. With the event in Rio, this will be the eighth time that the Brazilian will perform in his country, and the third for Ultimate.
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