QUOTABLES: Thiago Alves to UFC 130 opponent Rick Story - "Be careful what you wish for"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

thiago_alves_180.jpeg

"That's not my style, I don't call anybody out. If you want to be the best, you've got to fight the best, but I feel flattered in a way that I know he wants to become the champion one day. He wants to fight the best competition out there. But in the same way there's a little bitter taste in my mouth. Like is this kid for real? He wants to fight me, calling me out like that? Be careful what you wish for. I'm training like a maniac, I'm training like I've never trained before. He's going to get the best Thiago Alves ever, so I hope he's training his ass off...

I'm better with more upgrades than before, but with the experience that I have and everything I've learned throughout this process throughout my career, I'm a new Thiago right now. I truly feel like I'm just getting started again. I'm just 27 years old. I've got I'd say at least eight years ahead of me, so I'm very, very excited. I feel like a little kid again. He says he wants to stand up with me. Let's see if he can back up the talk. It's going to be a very early night for him."

-Thiago Alves talks to MMAWeekly.com about his UFC 130 opponent Rick Story calling him out for this fight and where he feels he's at in his career.

Penick's Analysis: I don't think we've seen Alves look better than he did against John Howard in December, and with another solid training camp behind him I'm expecting to see an even better version again. Story has been increasingly impressive in his performances, but he's taking a major step up in competition going from a fight with fellow prospect Johny Hendricks to this fight with Alves. I think Alves might be out to prove a point in this fight and not allow himself to be a stepping stone for Story. I'm really looking forward to this fight, and both guys will be out to prove their respective non-believers wrong.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9421.shtml

Takashi Sugiura Jung Chan Sung Minoru Suzuki Tim Sylvia