T. Alves (photo) considers retirement from MMA. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ ufc_brasil
Since he had his last fight, when he was defeated by Tim means, in December, Thiago Pitbull is no longer part of the group of UFC athletes. With the end of the contract, the athlete is free on the market, but he does not rule out putting his career at an end. In an interview with 'MMA Junkie', the Ceará native admitted talking to other companies, but states that he will only remain in the sport if the figures are attractive.
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“The money has to be right. I was making good money in the UFC, earning six figures since 2008. So, financially, I don't need to fight anymore. I want to continue because I love what I do. I was submitted in my last fight, but I feel like I still have a lot of fight left in me,” said Thiago.
Even confirming his desire to continue in MMA, Pitbull does not deny that he can, in fact, leave the sport at the age of 36, if he does not have a proposal that motivates him to continue fighting. Thiago, however, stated that, if his cycle as a professional in mixed martial arts has come to an end, he sees the balance of his career as positive.
“If the money doesn’t make sense, I’m happy to walk away. I already have a lot planned. I'm one of the coaches at American Top Team, I'm opening my own ATT gym. I'm also in the process of getting hired by the police, which was my first love before MMA. I'm in negotiations with the PFL, with Bellator, and just waiting to see the final numbers. If they make sense, then I will compete this year. If not, I will move on to the next chapter,” he declared.
Finally, Pitbull took stock of his performances as a fighter. According to the fighter from Fortaleza, his career in the sport ended up exceeding his expectations. The athlete even competed for an Ultimate title, when he faced the legendary Georges St PierreIn 2009.
“I left Brazil at 19 to start a career in fights and I achieved much more than I dreamed of. I never imagined speaking English, living in a beautiful house in America, being married, this and that. So, I've been living my dream since I was 19 years old. The only thing I wasn't able to achieve was becoming a champion. But when I was fighting, I was competing against the best of all time: Georges St-Pierre. It was hard to beat that guy. But was funny. So if this is the end, I'm happy with it. There's a lot more to life outside of MMA, I'm excited to have been able to do what I did and live the life I've lived so far”, he concluded.
At 36 years old, Thiago debuted in MMA in 2001. In 38 appearances as a professional, the Ceará native won 23 victories and was defeated in 15 fights.
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