Props: FightHype.com
Quoteworthy:
"We felt that the way to beat 'Rush' was through counter-punching and boxing.... I wanted him to bait St-Pierre, to strike and then counter-punch. Many times you go there with a plan, but your opponent doesn't allow you to bring it to fruition, and that's what happened ... Thiago did not show his capability of being explosive. He lost too much weight too fast and lost his explosiveness in the process. That's why he lost the fight. Thiago can beat St. Pierre.... Thiago is a warrior and a tremendous fighter. He lasted the five rounds and he never quit. He's extremely strong and that's why he kept getting up. He does have what it takes to beat Georges. He has to keep his head up and know that there will be more opportunities. He's still very young and that can work for you -- and against you. Against you because you may not have the maturity or the perspective of your entire career and the future; or it can work for you, helping you learn from it, and realize how much better you can be, and how much more time you have ... we just have to keep moving forward."
Eric "El Tigre" Castano -- kickboxing and Muay Thai coach for Thiago Alves -- talks about his fighter's unanimous decision loss to welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11. St. Pierre completely tamed the "Pitbull" for five rounds, nullifying his dangerous striking attack with a mix of speed, wrestling and ground and pound. Alves -- who earned the opportunity with seven consecutive wins against several of the best the division has to offer -- could not get anything going during the 25-minute championship match. St. Pierre's gameplan had a lot to do with the result, but so too did Alves' weight cut (according to his trainer), which apparently zapped much of his explosiveness. Alves is among the biggest fighters in the 170-pound division and he has historically had a tough time hitting the mark. It's important to note that Alves himself revealed last week that he was lighter heading into this fight than he has been in recent past. Perhaps the last few pounds were stubborn and did him in, which begs the question, should Alves move up to middleweight (a class that Castano feels he's too light for) or stay right where he is and make another run at the belt?
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