Former UFC star Thiago “Pitbull” Alves has become the latest elite fighter to join the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) stable, signing an exclusive contract with the company on Wednesday.
Alves’ bare knuckle debut is targeted for this Spring as he looks to bring the same skill and excitement to BKFC as he has brought throughout his storied career.
“I’m very excited to be part of the BKFC family,” said Alves. “I’m looking forward to testing my skills against anyone in my weight class. The ‘Pitbull’ is thirsty for blood!”
“Thiago Alves has been a staple in the UFC for a long time,” said David Feldman, BKFC President and Founder. “It’s amazing to have a fighter of this stature, and of this caliber, fighting for BKFC. Alves brings it each and every time he gets into the ring. On top of being a great fighter, he’s also a great person. That’s who we are aligning ourselves with. We can’t wait to have Thiago make his debut in April or May.”
Born in Ceara, Brazil, Alves now fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida and will seek to compete against the BKFC welterweight elite. The 36-year-old fought 27 times in the UFC, including a UFC record 26 times as a welterweight. He’s twice been awarded UFC Fight of the Night during an MMA career that has seen him rack up 23 wins, including 13 by TKO or KO.
He challenged then champion Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight title in July 2009 and owns wins over Matt Hughes, Chris Lytle, Patrick Cote, Karo Parisyan and Josh Koscheck. His 2019 campaign saw him compete three times in UFC, including a February victory over Max Griffin.
