Thiago Alves has competed in his final fight.
Alves headlined BKFC KnuckleMania 4 on Saturday night against Mike Perry in Los Angeles. Perry knocked out Alves in 60 seconds with a brutal left hand. Following the event, Alves was asked what was next.
“I’m going back to retirement,” Alves said at the post-fight press conference. “I pretty much was already retired, but didn’t make an announcement [or] anything because I wanted to do one more, and this was it. Unfortunately it didn’t go my way, but I’ve been fighting professionally since I was 15 years old. I took this fight on [an] eight-week notice, and I lost my mother on April 5. So I’ve been through a lot, and I put my family through a lot already.
“I’m happy being a coach, living the life that I live, but I got no regrets. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to go out on top when you’re competing at this level, but I’m happy with the man I see in the mirror. And on to the next one, right?”
Alves competed in the BKFC ring for the third and final time on Saturday. The former BKFC 185-pound champion was not able to continue after the knockdown, with the referee ultimately stopping the bout.
Alves reacted to the stoppage with the media.
“I got dropped, and I was getting up and then the referee was looking at me and told me, ‘Take a few steps,’ and I did, and I guess he didn’t like what he saw,” Alves explained. “I figured I would go out on my shield, but that wasn’t the case today.”
The 40-year-old ends his career with a 23-15 pro MMA record, including a 15-12 record in the UFC, which featured a championship bout against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100. After leaving the UFC, Alves transitioned more into a coaching role at American Top Team, but picked up a pair of wins in the BKFC ring, winning a decision against Julian Lane and finishing Uly Diaz to win BKFC gold at BKFC 18 in June 2021.
Now that his career is over, Alves said he accomplished everything he’s ever wanted to, and will leave the competition side of combat sports with his head held high.
“I’m just thankful,” Alves said. “I came here when I was 19 years old, had $40 to my name, I spoke no English, and was just a little kid from Brazil with a dream to become one of the best fighters in the world,” Alves said. “I think I was able to do that. I became a world champion in one of the most savage sports, badass sports out there [in] bare-knuckle boxing, and I’m just thankful to be able to provide a good life for my family, be able to leave this business in perfect health, and yeah, man, I’m just thankful to be here.”
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