Thiago Alves. Foto: UFC.

Ele já disputou o título dos meio-médios do UFC, mas acabou derrotado por GSP, na edição número 100 do Ultimate, em julho de 2009. De lá para cá, o cearense Thiago Alves vem com altos e baixos – em três lutas, venceu uma e perdeu duas. Neste sábado, em Birmingham, Inglaterra, o ás do muay thai tem uma prova de fogo contra Papy Abedi, que estreia no UFC. Uma nova derrota pode custar a permanência do Pitbull no octagon, mas ele sabe o que fazer.

“Estou decidido agora, eu não quero perder mais nenhuma luta. Eu controlo o meu destino, e eu tomei o controle de todas as minhas ações e de tudo o que acontece na minha vida. É isso. Vou cuidar do meu presente e meu futuro, e não perco mais nenhuma luta. Fiz o meu trabalho, e agora eu só tenho de ir lá e mostrar o meu melhor, sei que estou no meu melhor, ninguém pode me parar”, disse a fera ao site do UFC.

Engasgado com a derrota para Rick Story no UFC 130, em maio, Thiago não quer ver nenhum jurado trabalhando em suas lutas “Ali eu realmente aprendi muito. Treinei demais e pensei que a luta seria fácil. Mas quando eu quis lutar, já era tarde demais, fui mostrar meu jogo apenas na último round, aí já era. A primeira etapa eu perdi, mas ainda acho que no segundo ganhei por uma pequena margem e venci o terceiro. Então não acreditei no resultado, mas aprendi a não deixar nada para alguém decidir. Vou assumir o controle. Agora estou procurando ser um lutador versátil”, garantiu Pitbull.

Contra GSP, de short verde-amarelo.

“Eles não querem mais ir para a trocação comigo, então preciso melhorar em outras áreas. Já fiz isso antes, e é apenas uma questão de tempo antes de fazer novamente. Eu vou lá tomar tudo o que quero, é só uma questão de tempo, só tenho de ser paciente e agir quando for preciso agir “, concluiu.

Antes dessa luta decisiva, o GRACIEMAG.com conversou com mestre Evilázio Feitoza, descobridor e primeiro treinador de Thiago Pitbull. O mestre de muay thai, que já treinou astros do MMA como Gabriel Napão, disse o que pensa dos últimos desempenhos de seu ex-pupilo e o que espera do UFC 138. Confira!

Thiago Alves / Photo: UFC

He fought GSP for the UFC welterweight title but came up short, at the 100th installment of the promotion, in July 2009. Since then, Brazil’s Thiago Alves has seen highs and lows, losing two of his last three appearances and winning one. This Saturday in Birmingham, England, the Thai boxing ace will again be put to the test, taking on UFC first-timer Papy Abedi. Another loss could cost Pitbull his place in the octagon, but he knows what to do.

“I’ve made up my mind, I don’t want to lose a single fight. I control my destiny, and I took the reins on my actions and everything that happens in my life. That’s that. I’m going to take care of my present and future, and I won’t lose any more fights. I put the work in, and now I just want to get in there and show my best. I know I’m at my best and no one can stop me,” he is quoted as saying on the UFC website.

Still sore about his loss to Rick Story at UFC 130 last May, Thiago doesn’t want to give the judges any work to do in his fights. “I really learned a lot there. I trained so much and thought I’d have an easy fight. But when I finally got to fighting, it was too late; I only showed my game in the final round, so there was no turning things around. I lost the first round, but I still feel I won the second round my a small margin, and I won the third. So I couldn’t believe the result, but I learned never to let anyone determine the result for me. I’m going to take control. Now I’m aiming at becoming a more versatile fighter,” asserted Pitbull.

Against GSP, in yellow and green shorts

“They don’t want to stand and bang with me anymore, so I have to improve in other areas. I’ve done that before, and it’s just a question of time before I do so again. I’m going to go out there and take what I want; it’s just a question of time. I just need to be patient and take action when need be,” he said in conclusion.

In the lead-up to this decisive matchup, GRACIEMAG.com caught up with Master Evilázio Feitoza, the man who discovered and was first coach to Thiago Pitbull. The Thai boxing master, who has trained MMA stars like Gabriel Napão in the past, addressed his thoughts on his former student’s part performances and what he expects from him at UFC 138.

Check out the full interview with Master Evilázio in Portuguese in the following video and the transcription in English further down the page:

“He was one of the first boys who came to train with me, and I soon realized he was a diamond in the rough. So we started lapidating him. By the time he was 14 or 15 we sent him to compete, and at just 15 he made his professional debut, at a Thai boxing event where he beat a seasoned fighter from Recife.

So we kept working with him and he met with success at a lot of events while still a minor – him even lying about his age so they’d let him compete. We didn’t have a lot of resources then, but I’d go over K-1 videos with him – in those days it wasn’t so easy finding footage as it is today, with the internet.

Then, when he was 19, he took off to make a life for himself in the United States, at American Top Team. There he made and is still making a career for himself.

Now, he’s 26, still young, still has lots of potential. He’s slipped up a few times recently. Now he has different coaches, has a different way of fighting that’s quite different from what I was familiar with. He hasn’t been using the tools he used to use, which came from muay Thai. The way I see it, he only blocks, doesn’t defend, and that’s made things difficult for him.

Now I hope he can get back on his feet, since this next fight is against a striker, so he’ll be able to show his muay Thai and come out the victor.”