Thiago Alves is back in the Octagon next month at UFC 237, facing Laureano Staropoli in a welterweight division affair.
Once his professional MMA career comes to an end, one aspect of non-fighting life that interests Alves is law enforcement.
?My first passion besides fighting was law enforcement,? Alves told MMA Junkie. ?So I?m ready to go in that route.?
Alves has been competing in professional MMA for almost eighteen years now and has a record of 23-13-0 as a professional MMA fighter.
When Alves does become a police officer, one place Alves would like to be one in is in his native country of Brazil.
?It?s a mission about going out there and helping the community and fighting evil in a way, you know?? Alves said. ?The mentality that you have growing up toward law enforcement in Brazil, it?s very different than over here. In Brazil, they?re seen as heroes. I know there?s a bad apple everywhere in the game, but you don?t get the same benefits as you get here in America. Not even the salary, the lifestyle. You really want to be a police officer in Brazil because you want to fight crime, you want to do better. You want to fix the country in any way you can. And that?s the kind of mentality I have, to be able to give back to this country that did amazing things for me and my family. The next goal, it kind of excites me, to be able to be a part of something like this and build career outside of that.?
UFC 237 takes place on Saturday, May 11 from the Arena Da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil with Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.