Thiago Alves on GSP: "I'm going to knock him out" and "shock the world" (http://mmajunkie.com/news/14897/thiago-alves-on-gsp-im-going-to-knock-him-out-and-shock-the-world.mma)

Five rounds. Twenty-five minutes. Fifteen hundred seconds. July 11, 2009, will be the meeting of destiny for Thiago Alves.

The journey won't take long; that he assures you.

Inside a steel structure at UFC 100, a sellout audience of MMA fanatics and A-listers, along with millions watching in their homes and lined four-deep at sports bars, will have their eyes fixated on a young man from Fortaleza, Brazil. Across the octagon will be Alves' opponent, Georges St Pierre, a UFC welterweight champion in the prime of his career.

Alves, mind you, is not from a small town bundled in a corner of a large country, but from a paradise of more than three million. He's used to seeing and being seen, and from the moment the spotlight is on him, he plans on enjoying the ride.

"I'm going to enjoy my time," Alves told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) after a recent training session. "I have 25 minutes to have fun and whatever happens, it happens."

What's billed as a welterweight title fight and the co-main event next to Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir will be playtime to "Pitbull" Alves and his exuberance. His opponent is a freight train, considered the top welterweight in the world. Since that stunning TKO loss to Matt Serra on April 7, 2008, St. Pierre is 5-0 without a trace of doubt in victories over Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes and Jon Fitch; a redemption win over Serra in his home city of Montreal; and a four-round demolition of B.J. Penn.

Wonderful, says Alves. Now I'm going to take that all away. I'm going to take away your title and your manhood. It'll hardly be painless, but it'll be quick. In other words, "just don't blink."

You've been warned.

"I'm not just going to win," Alves said. "I'm going to knock him out. I'm going to shock the world.

"You have to do this for a reason. I want to make history. At (UFC) 100 I have a chance to make history, and I will make history. I promise you that. I've been asking for it, and you get in life what you ask for."

Somehow Alves has known deep down since he started training at age 14 that he'd be a world champion by 25, and it's at the quarter-century mark when he gets his title shot at the biggest show of the year – and the most prestigious in the UFC's history. It was at 18 when Alves won his MMA debut by earning a unanimous decision over 31-year-old Wilson Belchoir. A year later he left his homeland for Coconut Creek, Fla., to train at the prestigious American Top Team camp.

A loss to Spencer Fisher in his UFC debut didn't derail him, nor did an eight-month suspension and $5,500 fine thanks to a positive test for spironolactone, a diuretic. Since being dropped by Fitch in three rounds in 2006, Alves is undefeated in his past seven fights, with five wins via technical knockout.

A showdown with GSP is the next step in a path that seems preordained.

"I'm real excited," Alves said. "I've been preparing for this my whole life. I know GSP is a great fighter, but it's just my time."

Bold words said not with conviction, but with a smile. This fight was announced in February, giving the Pitbull ample time to prepare – and to think. He's stepped up his training by adding 1976 Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. (pictured above) to his camp, which beginning in early June will seclude him from the civilized world for final and intense sessions somewhere in the mountains. It's during down time when Alves thinks about UFC 100 and having to defeat one of Dana White's meal tickets, yet ask him about meeting his greatest challenge, he'll have you believe he's watching a sunset at Ponte dos Ingleses while floating in halcyon waters.

"It motivates me even more," Alves said. "I don't feel pressure at all. I'm going to take full advantage. Just positive vibes. Just let me go, man."

Alves' Past three bouts have been far from tranquil – but nothing short of resounding. He wiped out Karo Parisyan in 34 seconds of Round 2, schooled Koscheck through three rounds, and in between, he beat up Hughes so badly that someone once considered the most dominant champion in UFC history was left with a torn MCL and partially torn PCL – this after the Pitbull missed weight by four pounds. While hurting Koscheck, Alves suffered a hand injury that's now 100 percent, yet his legacy is far from fulfilled. A win over St. Pierre, knockout or not, and Alves will greet another destiny, that of a legend killer.

"That's what I want," Alves said. "That's why I've been working so hard my whole life. That's the plan."

Alve's only chance is a KO because GSP is just gonna pull a Jon Fitch, take him down and submit him.

Thiago Alves on GSP: "I'm going to knock him out" and "shock the world" (http://mmajunkie.com/news/14897/thiago-alves-on-gsp-im-going-to-knock-him-out-and-shock-the-world.mma)



Alve's only chance is a KO because GSP is just gonna pull a Jon Fitch, take him down and submit him.

Alves poses more problems than Fitch, not least because of his size but he possesses phenomenal power as well.

Alves poses more problems than Fitch, not least because of his size but he possesses phenomenal power as well.

I wasn't comparing Fitch and Alves. I was comparing Fitch's win over Alves and how GSP could easily do the same since he has everything Fitch has in his arsenal and more.

I wasn't comparing Fitch and Alves. I was comparing Fitch's win over Alves and how GSP could easily do the same since he has everything Fitch has in his arsenal and more.

Sorry, I thought you were saying since GSP easily outwrestled Fitch he was going to do the same to Alves. He might do that anyway but Alves now is a different proposition to the one that lost to Fitch a few years ago.

Thiago Alves is far from what he was when he lost to Jon Fitch. Seven straight wins against game opponents and plus GSP won't be able to use his size and strength to an advantage here like he has in his previous fights. I think that Alves will drop him with a knee late in the fight.

Thiago Alves is far from what he was when he lost to Jon Fitch. Seven straight wins against game opponents and plus GSP won't be able to use his size and strength to an advantage here like he has in his previous fights. I think that Alves will drop him with a knee late in the fight.

I wouldn't say so at all. It's well known that he outwrestles Rashad Evans on a regular basis and takes him down with ease. Doing that to the current 205 king shows me that he is more than capable of outmuscling Alves. Alves has good standup and a pretty decent sprawl. But with GSP you have a guy who is head and shoulders above the rest of his division. His closest competitor was Jon Fitch, and with all due respect to Fitch, he got manhandled and beatdown. Also in comparing resumes, he's got nothing on GSP. Like I said, Alves best chance is a knockout early. If it goes to the latter rounds GSP will just wear him down and beat him up.

I like Alves but GSP is going to put another clinic and beat down on him.

GSP is gonna beat him down standing(and if Alves ain't ko'd from that)and put on the finishing touches on this ugly pit on the ground.

I see GSP controlling the pace with Takedowns. Grinding and wearing Alves out. GSP by TKO round 4....

big and strong r two different things. Alves may be bigger than GSP but imo George has got more functional strength. i'm not sure bout Alves' gas tank but a big body needs a lot of oxygen. i think GSP will use a similar gameplan as he did against Matt Serra, mixin it up to keep Alves guessing.

defo worried bout Alves' leg kicks doh, if he lands too many in the earlier rounds it could seriously hamper GSP's takedowns and i don't really see Thiago respecting GSP's takedown ability enough to think twice bout throwin em (at least till George takes him down a couple of times)

its hard not to use the fitch blueprint to guess how GSP will fare against alves.
cant imagine anything less than total gsp domination but id love alves to ko him.

I ll go with Alves in this one cuz I think Alves sprawl will make difference.
Alves KO round 1! He will shock the world!

I wouldn't say so at all. It's well known that he outwrestles Rashad Evans on a regular basis and takes him down with ease. Doing that to the current 205 king shows me that he is more than capable of outmuscling Alves. Alves has good standup and a pretty decent sprawl. But with GSP you have a guy who is head and shoulders above the rest of his division. His closest competitor was Jon Fitch, and with all due respect to Fitch, he got manhandled and beatdown. Also in comparing resumes, he's got nothing on GSP. Like I said, Alves best chance is a knockout early. If it goes to the latter rounds GSP will just wear him down and beat him up.

Have Rashad and Alves ever wrestled? You can't really say that GSP is going to outwrestle Alves because he can outwrestle Rashad without ever seeing Alves and Rashad wrestle.

Edit: Then again you thought Magalhaes was the best thing since sliced bread. :haha:

alves by ko

Have Rashad and Alves ever wrestled? You can't really say that GSP is going to outwrestle Alves because he can outwrestle Rashad without ever seeing Alves and Rashad wrestle.

Erm, yes I can. Bro the guy got outwrestled by Fitch, who in turn got manhandled by GSP. Now styles make fights, but when it comes to all round skill, ability and strength, GSP has proven that he can take an opponents best asset and neutralise it. Against Koscheck, took him down when he wanted, dominated him. Against Hughes, threw him round and tapped him. Against Serra & Penn, took them down, controlled them, wore them down to the point where they couldn't even attempt a submission hold. Alves best attributes are his striking and his sprawl. But quite frankly Penn had a far beter sprawl and we all saw what happened there. Plus Thiago struggles to make the weight which which can also play a factor since this is a 5 round fight and with the pace GSP can set over that tme period I can see Thiago being exhausted after 2 and a half rounds.


Edit: Then again you thought Magalhaes was the best thing since sliced bread. :haha:

No I didn't. As usual you have a selctive memory because if you look back at that whole conversation you would see that I never said anything of the sort. I said that when comparing the PURE BJJ skills of Nog to Vinny then Vinny was leaps and bounds ahead of Nog. Stay on topic bro.

No I didn't. As usual you have a selctive memory because if you look back at that whole conversation you would see that I never said anything of the sort. I said that when comparing the PURE BJJ skills of Nog to Vinny then Vinny was leaps and bounds ahead of Nog. Stay on topic bro.

Quote:

"Magalhaes is the greatest thing since fish and chips."


PS: I can outwrestle GSP.

Quote:

"Magalhaes is the greatest thing since fish and chips."


PS: I can outwrestle GSP.

Now it's just bareface lies. I don't even like fish and chips.

PS: In your dreams.

Now it's just bareface lies. I don't even like fish and chips.

PS: In your dreams.

Either way, prime Wanderlei murders both of these fools R1.

He wouldn't shock me if he KTFOed the Frenchie. Serra did afterall. I would just chuckle again.

E

I see GSP controlling the pace with Takedowns. Grinding and wearing Alves out. GSP by TKO round 4....


yeah, i see it this way, too. both guys are unusually strong for 170, the dean of mean trains with GSP and says he's stronger than most 205 lbrs, and we all know alves should really be at 185 but somehow, with a diuretic or whatever cuts down to 170

Either way, prime Wanderlei murders both of these fools R1.


no, he'd be weight drained at 170 lbs, if it was at 185, maybe

He wouldn't shock me if he KTFOed the Frenchie. Serra did afterall. I would just chuckle again.

E

serra got lucky with the elbow, if alves is counting on luck as his game plan he'll get stopped