After initially thinking his fighting career was over, Brazilian veteran Thiago Alves is set to return to the ring to face Mike Perry at KnuckleMania IV, following a lucrative offer from BKFC.
Thiago Alves, by all accounts, believed he had hung up his gloves for good. After claiming the BKFC middleweight title in 2021 by knocking out Uly Diaz, the 40-year-old Brazilian veteran didn’t receive any offers tempting enough to lure him back into the ring. He shifted his focus to coaching, becoming a primary instructor at American Top Team in Florida. He never officially retired, but he didn’t anticipate stepping back into the ring either.
Then, everything changed. BKFC came knocking with an offer too good to refuse – a hefty payday and a chance to face Mike Perry at KnuckleMania IV on Saturday. “I’m always active,” Alves shared with MMA Fighting. He spends six days a week at American Top Team, training top-level athletes. He emphasized the importance of staying in shape to demonstrate the effectiveness of his teachings.
“I wasn’t training with the fighting mind at all. I was done with this part of my career,” Alves confessed. But then, BKFC called him with an irresistible offer. “It’s like, alright, I guess it’s time to get back in there! Here we are.”
Alves had quietly stepped back from active competition, not expecting another offer that would make it worthwhile to fight again. He was content in his new role, helping fighters like Dustin Poirier and working with other coaches like former WEC champion Mike Brown. He never made a big deal about retiring because he was always open to the right opportunity.
“I had great things going on outside of fighting,” Alves admitted. He was coaching, serving as an MMA director for an online training platform called Life Training, and enjoying a fulfilling family life. He wasn’t planning on fighting again, but he never completely closed that door. “I always felt I had one more in me. At least one more in me.”
Returning to face Perry wasn’t part of Alves’ long-term plan, but he’s not ruling out this fight being his last. He’s always open to potential offers, which is how the BKFC deal came about. “Money talks,” Alves said. “You can always use some extra money in your bank account, especially today. It’s important to stay active. It’s important to stay open to opportunities.”
Despite nearly three years between fights, Alves has a significant advantage in preparing for Perry. He’s already fought two bare-knuckle fights, giving him firsthand experience of the BKFC ring. This was an advantage that fighters like Michael Page and Luke Rockhold didn’t have when they faced Perry.
“I’m battle tested,” Alves declared. “I know what it takes to win inside of that squared circle. I’m excited. It’s been a long journey to get back in there. I always felt there was something missing, the extra motivation in my daily life, and it’s the perfect time.”
Long before they were scheduled to trade punches in bare-knuckle, Alves was matched up against Perry in the UFC. Back in 2017, Alves was supposed to face Perry at a UFC Fight Night card in Pittsburgh. However, a hurricane in Florida prevented Alves from making the trip. The storm forced Alves and his family to move into the gym at American Top Team, and they tragically lost their pet dog.
Alves claims that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva never forgot about him dropping out of the Perry fight, despite the extreme circumstances. “I kind got blacklisted from the UFC after that, not being able to make it,” Alves said. “Joe Silva at the time, kind of had a little [grudge] against me because he thought I didn’t want to fight. I tried. I tried to leave Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. [Flight didn’t happen.] I’ve got to do what’s best for my family.”
Now, seven years later, Alves hopes to settle some unfinished business with Perry. This time it’s in a much different combat sport, but Alves expects the results will still be the same as he planned back then. “I think I’m just a better striker overall,” Alves said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re going to use kicks or not. I think I’m more polished.”
“We’re excited. We’re confident. We know he’s tough. We know he’s supposedly the A-side because they’re trying to build him. He’s younger, he has the following behind him, but we’re going to crash the party. I think I’m going to finish him in the fourth round. I’m going to put him away in the fourth round.”