Thiago Alves has announced his retirement from fighting after being knocked out by Mike Perry at BKFC KnuckleMania 4, ending his career with a 23-15 pro MMA record and a 15-12 record in the UFC.
Thiago Alves has hung up his gloves. The final bell has rung.
Saturday night saw him headline BKFC KnuckleMania 4. His opponent? Mike Perry. The location? Los Angeles, baby. Perry, the beast, knocked Alves out cold in just 60 seconds. One brutal left hand was all it took.
After the dust settled, Alves faced the inevitable question. What’s next?
“Back to retirement for me,” Alves declared at the post-fight presser. He’d been semi-retired already, just hadn’t made it official. He wanted one last dance in the ring, and this was it. Didn’t quite go as planned, but hey, that’s the fight game.
Alves has been in the professional fight game since he was 15. That’s a lifetime. He took this fight on an eight-week notice. And he lost his mom on April 5. It’s been a tough ride, and his family’s been on it with him.
He’s content being a coach, living the life he’s got. No regrets. It’s a tall order to go out on top in this game, but he’s good with the man in the mirror. So, what’s next?
Saturday marked Alves’ third and final time in the BKFC ring. The former BKFC 185-pound champ couldn’t continue after the knockdown. The ref had to call it.
Alves had a few words about the stoppage.
“I got dropped. I was getting up, and the ref was eyeballing me. ‘Take a few steps,’ he said. I did, but he didn’t like what he saw,” Alves recounted. He’d hoped to go out on his shield, but it wasn’t in the cards.
Alves, now 40, wraps up his career with a 23-15 pro MMA record. That includes a 15-12 record in the UFC and a championship bout against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100. After leaving the UFC, he transitioned to coaching at American Top Team. But he still had some fight left in him. He picked up a couple of wins in the BKFC ring, including a decision against Julian Lane and a finish against Uly Diaz to snag BKFC gold at BKFC 18 in June 2021.
Now, it’s all over. Alves says he’s achieved everything he ever wanted. He’s leaving the competitive side of combat sports with his head held high.
“I’m just thankful,” Alves said. He came to the US at 19 with only $40 to his name, no English, and a dream. Just a kid from Brazil who wanted to be one of the best fighters in the world. And he did it. He became a world champ in one of the most savage sports out there – bare-knuckle boxing. He’s grateful to have provided a good life for his family and to leave the business in good health.
“Yeah, man, I’m just thankful to be here,” Alves said.