RIO DE JANEIRO – Thiago Alves hopes his first real trip to Rio de Janeiro produces a devastating victory when he takes on Laureano Staropoli at UFC 237.
Despite being from Brazil, Alves (23-13 MMA, 15-10 UFC) has never been in Rio de Janeiro for longer than quick layovers at the airport. One of the former UFC welterweight title challenger’s goals is to fight out his UFC career on home soil, and he takes another step toward that goal in the penultimate bout on his current contract when he takes on Staropoli (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
“The Pitbull” has had many long, drawn-out battles during his more-than-13-year UFC tenure, including his victory over Max Griffin at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February. At UFC 237, though, he’s looking to do something different.
“I know it’s going to be a tough fight, but it’s not going to be a war,” Alves told MMA Junkie. “I’m going to shut him off. I’m going to shut him down, and I’m hoping to get him out of there before the end of the first round.”
UFC 237 takes place at Jeunesse Arena. Alves vs. Staropoli is part of the pay-per-view main card, which follows prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass.
To hear more from Alves, check out his full pre-fight interview above.
For more on UFC 237, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
