Thiago Alves has been an active professional MMA fighter for just over sixteen years now, but the longtime fighter is now got a new role ahead of him as a coach.
That’s because the fighter has accepted a role as a coach for American Top Team, a job that was offered to him by ATT head Dan Lambert.
“After my last fight, Dan asked me is I wanted to start helping the new generation of ATT fighters, and I accepted it,” Alves said to MMA Fighting. “I live close to the gym and I’m here every day for 14 years, so it made sense.”
Despite his new role as a coach at ATT, the longtime UFC fighter is remaining active inside the Octagon and he is fighting Mike Perry at UFC Fight Night Pittsburgh.
The one thing that Alves has learned from his new coaching duties is to view the sport he loves in a different way.
“Since I’m teaching fighters now, you see the sport in a different way,” Alves said. “I study the techniques more, the things I have to teach them. It’s great for my career, my fight IQ is going way up. I see things that I didn’t pay attention before. It brings me a new energy and more responsibility because now I’m an example. The things I do in there will show my athletes that it works, that that’s the way you should fight."
UFC Fight Night Pittsburgh takes place on Saturday, September 16 from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Luke Rockhold and David Branch headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox Sports 1.
