Thiago Alves (21-10) kommer ta sig an Ben Henderson (22-5) på UFC Fight Night 79 och är glad över att få möta någon som är i hans storlek.
Alves vill knocka Henderson i tredje ronden och förklarar att han ska lära Henderson en läxa i de två första ronderna.
”He’s a complete guy, I think he’s a better grappler than a striker.” sa Alves. ”But I’m better than him anywhere. I’m too explosive and I’ll be able to neutralize his game and knock him out. It has been years since I fought a guy who was my size and had my reach. I’ll be able to use my knees and elbows. My arsenal will be completely different for this fight. I will knock him out in the third round. I want to spend the first two teaching the Korean crowd a lesson, right? Then get back home. It won’t last five rounds – I promise, on the record.”
Alves tycker att männen i hans division har blivit för långa och stora, medan de fighters som finns i lättviktsdivisionen är i samma storlek som Alves. Alves hoppas även kunna gå en titelmatch i lättvikt efter att ha vunnit några matcher först.
”Guys are getting too tall in my division. Between 2007 and 2011 I was considered big; now, they are much taller, they can be 6’3″ or 6’2″. I’m giving my opponents too many weapons at 170 pounds because I can’t use my knees or my elbows. I have to close the distance too much in order to hit them and I don’t like that. In the lightweight division, guys are about my size and I will have a lot of strength, speed and pressure. I plan to fight Henderson, the have two lightweight fights in 2016 and then fight for the title by the end of the year and get the belt. This fight will already be a good introduction, since I’m going to lightweight soon, because he’s moving up while I’m moving down. It will be good to see how they move. Strength and speed won’t be a problem. I want to see how they deal with my strength and my power.”
