Thiago Alves used to be one of the most feared strikers in the world at 170 pounds. Somewhere along the way he lost control of his diet and that constant struggle to make weight has sapped his energy in too many big fights. The 5-foot-8 powerhouse, kicking machine is on the verge of having to change weight classes.
He's facing three opponents this weekend at UFC 124 - John Howard, the scale and Dana White.
The UFC president blew his top after Alves looked listless in his UFC 117 loss to Jon Fitch.
"We were just texting a few minutes ago and he said, 'Hey, I’m sorry about that. I’ll come back stronger,'" White said during the UFC 117 postfight presser. "I said, 'Yeah, at 185 you will.' He said, 'No, I want to stay at 170.'"
"He looked lethargic tonight. He looked slow. He doesn’t belong at 170. He belongs at 185 pounds."
White's anger sharks were swimming since Alves had missed weight for the second time in his last four fights.
"It’s bull[expletive] to have guys make weight and have guys not make weight, especially at this level," White said. "When you’re in the UFC, your job is to make weight."
Alves got the message and brought in former fighter and diet guru Mike Dolce.
Dolce, a cast member from Season 7 of "the Ultimate Fighter," has worked well with Wolfslair Fighters like Paul Kelly and Quinton Jackson. Diet and stamina is a huge part of the fight game and Dolce says too many guys are missing the mark.
"It hurts my soul to see these guys work so hard in the gym their whole damn lives, get to the UFC, the biggest stage for MMA in the world, and have it all go to [expletive] the couple days before the weigh-in just because they haven't learned the right information or they're listening to the wrong people," said Dolce.
"They work so hard to make what money they do ... But these guys are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars over time in bonuses, incentives, sponsorships, and purse upgrades, simply by not doing this the right way."
Dolce and Alves joined forces shortly after UFC 117. The nutrition expert says Alves is still a huge dude, walking around in the 190-pound range, but now he's healthy.
"He looks amazing," Dolce told UltimateFighter.com just before Thanksgiving. "Anything he eats or drinks goes by me first, just as with any other athlete. He's a phenomenal athlete - we all know that -and he's a great guy, a cool guy, so it makes my life so much easier. He woke up at 190 this morning. He showed up for the last fight at 193 before the weigh-in. Now, here we are, two and a half weeks away, and he's 190, and he's fully fed, fully hydrated. He can't believe how good he feels at this weight right now."
Dolce's so confident in his system that he allowed Alves to have a normal Thanksgiving dinner. A healthier Alves means the Brazilian won't have to destroy himself over the next couple of days in the sauna
"The sauna to me is like an oven. Most saunas are 180 degrees. You're actually cooking, roasting your organs," Dolce said. "You're bringing them into a detrimental state on the eve of the most important event of your life."
The Howard fight will serve as a crossroads for Alves. If he struggles to make weight or doesn't look explosive, who knows what White's reaction will be?
Hopefully Dolce's work will return Alves to the form that allowed to walkover Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck.
In watching Alves' excellent documentary, you forget how athletic Alves can be when he's at his best.
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