"Bro, that's a great fight man. Diego is a great fighter and a good athlete and it would be a great fight. I like to fight against southpaws. Most people have problems with them. I don't. I kind of like it so it would be fun," stated UFC welterweight Thiago Alves as he talked about a potential clash with Diego Sanchez. Check out what else he had to say as he shares his thoughts Karo Parysan, the upcoming title clash between Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch and much more.
PC: How is everything going Thiago?
TA: Very good man. I'm just training hard and getting ready for the next one.
PC: How big was the Matt Hughes win for you?
TA: Bro, that was the biggest win for me in my career. That was the biggest fight for me and it changed everything in my career and in my life too so it was pretty important.
PC: The welterweight division is one of the better divisions in the UFC. I'm sure you will be paying close attention to the fight in 2 weeks. Who do you like in the fight between Fitch and St. Pierre?
TA: I want Jon Fitch to win. That's what I really want because then he'll be holding the belt and it will be really nice to fight him for the belt and get my rematch. I would be able to fight him for the title and get my rematch at the same time so it will be perfect.
PC: You've won 6 fights in a row. What have been the keys to your consistency since the loss to Fitch?
TA: Just hard work man. I'm a hard worker and I just train and fight. I also have a great camp behind me; great coaches and great teammates. It's not just one thing you do. You have to have a lot of things come together for you and I've surrounded myself with a great gym and put in some hard work.
PC: It's tough enough to keep your spot in the UFC as a fighter. You haven't fought outside of the organization in 10 fights. How important is that and how much does it mean to you for the UFC to stay behind you and keep you on cards?
TA: It's really important. I love the UFC and it's a great place to be right now. I'm very thankful for the UFC management. They've been behind me for a long time and they have gotten me 5 fights right away in less than a year so it's great.
PC: Karo Parisyan has been really vocal about fighting you again. Is that a fight you are willing to explore or is that behind you?
TA: Karo is a great guy man, but everybody knows Karo and he talks a lot of shit. That's just the way he is. I don't talk much bro. I work and that's why I'm in a different position than he is right now. I'll let him talk and do his thing and I'm just going to keep doing my thing and knocking people out. If he wants to fight me again and meet me in the Octagon again, I'll be more than happy to knock his ass out again.
PC: Is it a problem for you to make 170 or are you comfortable at that weight? Can we expect to see a move up in the near future?
TA: Nah, I'm going to stay at 170 for a long time. I don't plan to move up. I'm too short for 185. I'm not too small, but I'm too short. To make 170 is not a problem; I always make the weight, but this particular fight, I couldn't make the weight because I had a sprained ankle 10 days before. It was really bad for me. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't run. I was on my diet still, but that doesn't help a lot. You have to sweat. I tried as hard as I could, but the UFC knew about it and it was cool, but I promise it won't happen again.
PC: Your last 5 wins have come by KO or TKO. How important is it for you to finish these guys in the division and have a shot at that bonus money?
TA: That's the plan bro. It's pretty much a street fight with technique. Those are some small gloves man so if you got the power and train hard, just go for it. Of course every fight is a different fight and I want to try and get the knockout and finish the fight. If the guy can go 15 minutes, good, but I want to try and finish him before.
PC: It looks like a fight between you and Diego Sanchez is in the works. I don't know how much you can speak on it, but how interesting is that fight for you. Diego is a southpaw that doesn't seem like he minds banging these days.
TA: Bro, that's a great fight man. Diego is a great fighter and a good athlete and it would be a great fight. I like to fight against southpaws. Most people have problems with them. I don't. I kind of like it so it would be fun.
PC: Hughes came out against you in a southpaw stance. Were you trained for that being that he showed a little of that against St. Pierre or were you trained for an orthodox Hughes?
TA: I train for both of them. I knew he was going to come out southpaw, especially after his last fight because he was looking for the low single and I knew that already, but I trained for both because he might change it. You gotta be prepared for everything. I'm comfortable against southpaw and orthodox guys. I just have to find out who my opponent will be and put in a strategy for him and that's it man.
PC: I appreciate the interview Thiago. Good luck in your next fight. Is there anything you would like to say in closing?
TA: I just want to thank my sponsors: Tapout, Audio XL and the UFC management for keeping me busy.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]