After defeating Matt Hughes, American Top Team fighter Thiago “Pitbull” Alves was expecting his chance to fight welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre for the title. However, a new challenge has come for the “Pitbull”, on UFC 88, the Brazilian fighter must first defeat Diego Sanchez. MMA Sports caught up with Thiago Alves and got his thoughts:

MMA Sports Mag: Are you anxious about this fight? Tell us your plan...
Thiago Pitbull Alves: Man, I am going for the KO!

MMA Sports Mag: What are your impressions about Diego Sanchez?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: I know I have a tough fighter ahead. He gives his best and enters in the octagon to kill or die…and I like that. He should come after me…I want to fight. He imposes a great rhythm during his fights, but so do I and I want to see if he handles mine…as I said before, my intention is KOing.

MMA Sports Mag: So, can we expect the same “Pitbull” we saw against Matt Hughes?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: I cannot tell...but I can tell you something different is in the air. I know he improved his game on the feet and said he is going to exchange punches with me. I can’t wait for the time to show him the difference between a striker and a fighter who just started to develop his punch techniques. I will wait for his mistake…and he will do something wrong.

MMA Sports Mag: So, in case you win do you finally fight St. Pierre for the belt?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: Yes, during the last press conference I was in Chicago and Dana White said the winner of my fight will have a chance to fight for the title. So, that is music for my ears.

MMA Sports Mag: We know you were anxiously waiting for a title shot... were you disappointed when you first knew you had to fight Sanchez first?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: Well, it’s a disappointing fact. After beating Matt I think I was ready for the final match, but UFC does this kind of thing all the time and if they decided I needed to prove I am able to be a champion with one more fight, I’ll do it!

MMA Sports Mag: So, I bet you’ve dreamed with a fight between you and St. Pierre… how it would be?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: (laughs). Yes man...I’ve dreamed about that final match. And it would kick ass! I do respect him a lot. He is an excellent person outside the ring…a gentleman. Never bullshits about any fighter. He is polite and complete, like a champion must be. He is a great striker, has a good Wrestling and has been improving his Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil. But I think I am a better striker than him. When the subject is Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu, I train with the better ones. So I don’t see fighting him a problem. I am ready.

MMA Sports Mag: Talking about American Top Team. how is training since André Benkei left the team?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: Benkei left because he had to. It didn’t work out. It was better for him, but I am still with him. Where Benkei goes I am going after him. I know he still works with some ATT fighters as a freelancer. Now he trains whoever he wants and I am fine with that. But in other hands I am ATT until the day I die. Their disagreement is not concern to me and I still work with him.

MMA Sports Mag: Returning to George St. Pierre, what did you think about fight against Jon Fitch?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: I was there and I watched paying attention to the little details. It was a great fight. Jon impressed for his resistance. He handled a lot of punches. He is a tough fighter, but St. Pierre was better. Did his job.

MMA Sports Mag: In your opinion, what Jon Fitch did wrong?
Thiago Pitbull Alves: I think he waited so long. St. Pierre is a strategist and he put Fitch down in the very beginning. He is intelligent and studies his opponent’s game. I think Jon accepted the game too well and when you have an opponent such as St Pierre you cannot accept his game. People create him as a supernatural phenomenon, but we are professionals and we cannot see that way. St Pierre is human, has two legs and two arms.

MMA Sports Mag: BJ Penn challenged St. Pierre for the belt… do you think he is going to have his chance before you?
Thiago Pitbull Alves - BJ kicks ass! I am a fan... he is a sport phenomenon. In their first fight I think he got tired but was doing a great job. I do consider this challenge awesome. I want to fight the best fighters and it would be great to fight BJ. In case I fight St Pierre and then fight BJ I don’t want anything more in my life (laughs).