Alves Trains for Diego Sanchez
When UFC commentator Joe Rogan said that in his opinion he thought American Top team was the that best camp in the country, that was an understatement. They have a variety of trainers who specialize in different styles of fighting such as striking and grappling. One of these individuals is UFC fighter Thiago “Pitbull” Alves.
Alves was born in Fortaleza, Brazil. He started taking Martial Arts when he was eight years old. He studied Karate and Capoeira. At age fourteen he started training intensely in the art of Muay Thai. By seventeen years old he was fighting in MMA.
Like many other people, watching Bruce Lee and Van Dam movies inspired Alves to take up The Martial Arts.
Alves’s Muay Thai instructor was Evilazio Feitoza. Like his other instructors before Feitoza, Alves describes Feitoza as a father figure.
“If it wasn’t for Feitoza I probably wouldn’t be where I am today”.
I asked Alves if there was one characteristic you could take with you about Feitoza what would it be. Without hesitation his answer was that Feitoza is very determined at everything he does.
“There are a lot of people who are so determined to reach whatever goal they are after, that they don’t care what it takes or how it can effect other people. Feitoza, on the other hand, tries to reach his goals without stepping on people’s toes and affecting people negatively”.
I asked Alves how he hooked up with American Top Team. Living in Brazil at the time, Alves saw an ad for
ATT. They were looking for fighters from all over the world. He was also fortunate to know Marcus Aurelio. Aurelio gave ATT co-owner Ricardo Liborio Alves’s profile. Liborio then invited Alves to train in the states.
Alves got his first break in the UFC on his birthday, October 3, 2005. He remembers his manager calling him and asking Alves if he wanted to fight in a match with only thirty days to prepare for. Alves didn’t care if it was ten days. He was excited and determined to be prepared for his first fight in the UFC.
Alves’s first fight was with Spencer Fisher. In the beginning of the match Alves had the upper hand against Fisher. He was feeding into the crowd, sucking in the UFC experience. Unfortunately, he got careless and got caught in a triangle choke in the second round. Having had his first fight in the UFC under his belt, a more focused Alves won his next two fights. In UFC Fight Night 5 Alves lost to John Fitch by Technical Knock Out. Since then, he has won five fights in a row and seven of his last eight. Six of those wins have been by KO or TKO, including his last match with opponent Matt Hughes. Alves next match will be at UFC 90, when he fights Diego Sanchez.
Alves works out twice a day Monday through Saturday. His workouts are so intense that he doesn’t have the energy to do anything else. If he is not seriously injured after fighting in a match, Alves will take just one to two weeks off, then it’s right back to the gym. His workout ethics have paid off. Alves has made quite a bit of money fighting in the UFC . He is enjoying life with little or no complaints.
Alves predicts a knock out win over Diego Sanchez on October 25th.
“Diego brings a lot to the table. He is very explosive and puts a lot of pressure. That’s the kind of fight I love. I know I’m bigger, stronger and faster.”
Alves considers ATT the best school in the country. They have an incredible variety of trainers and coaches. It prepares you for the unexpected when you’re in the ring.
Since Alves’s last win over Matt Hughes, his popularity has risen substantially. With popularity comes a numerous amount of people who want to befriend him. Alves chooses his friends very carefully. He tries to surround himself with people who have positive energy.
Alves figures he can/will fight until he is thirty-two. After his fighting days are done he would like to give a shot at acting. Right now there are so many doors opening for him and he really doesn’t have time to think about it. Right now Alves just wants to focus on fighting and enjoy the ride.
Hector Feliciano is the founder and Editor of the Martial Arts Times. A fighting enthusiast, He looks forward to sharing his experiences with readers and interacting in the wonderful world of Martial Arts. 
