Grant Brothers MMA second anniversary party: Q&A with Thiago Alves

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

The Grant Brothers second anniversary party was just as fun as the first. Once again, everyone in attendance came face to face with UFC fighters. Here’s a look at what Thiago “Pitbull” Alves had to say. Check out the Grant Brothers MMA blog on Monday for Q&A with UFC vet and Grant Brothers wrestling coach Sean Pierson.

Alves (19-8) is a former No. 1 contender and current veteran of the UFC welterweight (170-pound) division.

M.L.: What are your thoughts on the possibility of facing Martin Kampmann in your next bout?

T.A.: It’s just rumors. I haven’t heard anything from my manager, I haven’t heard anything from (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva. It’s a fight that would love to have because he just beat Rick Story and I have a lot of respect for him. I think it would be good to throw down with a high-level guy like that. Just speculation and a lot of people are talking about it. Sounds good to me.

M.L. After fighting so many wrestlers recently, how would your strategy change if you had to fight Kampmann, a kickboxer, or someone like Kampmann?

T.A.: Someone like Kampmann, you just have to be very well-rounded everywhere, because Kampmann’s a good striker, he’s got good wrestling and he’s got good Jiu-Jitsu, too. So today, you have to be ready wherever the fight takes place. Of course, yo have to come with your strategy and decide who’s going to dictate the pace of the fight. But with Kampmann, you’ve got to be prepared for a war, because he’s a really tough guy – not just him, but everybody at this level.

M.L. Some of your tougher fights have been against Jon Fitch, Rick Story and Georges St-Pierre. How do you feel about the growing belief among MMA fans and experts that wrestling is the best base skill in the sport?

T.A. Wrestling can definitely be beaten. You see strikers taking the belt, you see wrestlers taking the belt. That’s the martial arts game. It’s so unpredictable. Sometimes you have Jiu-Jitsu guys who are champions. So I don’t think that the preference should be wrestling or striking or Jiu-Jitsu. You have to be good at what you do and stick with the game plan. Every technique has a counter-technique. Don’t get me wrong, wrestling dictates whether your stay up or on the ground, so you have to have a very good base of it, but I don’t think it’s everything.

M.L. I don’t want to bore you, but everyone talks about you and weight cuts. My question is not about making weight but more if there’s a certain reason why you didn’t go up to 185. Have you ever thought about it or are you just more comfortable at 170?

T.A. It’s very simple: I’m not that tall for 185. I might be stronger than some of the guys who are there. But the guys who fight 185, they walk around at 215 or 220. (Chael) Sonnen walks around at 225. So I would be fighting some big boys and giving up a lot of reach advantage. I just think at 170 I’m strong. I don’t give up anything. I think I’m stronger than all the guys that I fought. It was never an option to move up to 185. That’s why I got (Mike Dolce of “The Dolce Diet”) in my camp so he could help me with that and take over my life.

M.L. Are you interested in coaching The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil?

T.A. I would love to be a coach. It’s so funny, because a few years ago, when I was a professional fighter in Brazil, I was considered unemployed, ‘you don’t have anything better to do, you’re not a professional athlete.’ Today, it’s MMA fighters, then soccer players. It’s gotten to that point that it’s televised on national TV. Everyone talks about it. It’s the new big thing. We’ve got a lot of good Brazilian fighters. And it would be a great opportunity for me to show a bit of my experience in the Octagon to those kids who are coming up. Again, just speculation for now but I think it’ll be a really interesting Ultimate Fighter in Brazil.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA GYM: Serving North York, Toronto and the GTA,  Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

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