Thiago 'Pitbull' Alves

Thiago Alves is the first ever middleweight champion in BKFC history. He holds a number of records in MMA and is a force whether he is stepping in the Squared Circle or the octagon. To rattle through a few of his accomplishments, he has the most knockdowns in welterweight history (UFC), fourth most finishes in UFC history, an MMA record of 23-15 and an evolving BKFC record of 2-0. 

Alves began his MMA career in 2001 and it continued in the sport until 2019. He then entered the BKFC in 2020 where he defeated Julian Lane and Uly Diaz to earn middleweight gold. He vacated the title to focus more on coaching at one of the greatest, if not the greatest MMA gym in the world, American Top Team. There he’s a striking coach for some of the best MMA boxers in the world including Dustin Poirier. 

Alves grew up in Fortaleza, Brazil where he began training Muay Thai at age 15 before rounding out his mixed martial arts game. He defeated a full grown, 25-year-old man in his first ever amateur MMA fight by unanimous decision, which is not something many people can say. It seems Alves was born to fight and more specifically, strike. He moved from Brazil to Florida when he was 19 and his career began to snowball for the better. 

Alves wants to become a police officer as he continues to make positive changes in his community. He is a testament to the character of a true martial artist, looking to protect the weak and put himself on the front lines to test his limits. Alves is very private about his personal life and chooses not to mix it with his public persona but he is a dedicated husband and father.