Warlley Alves’ Gut Check

Warlley Alves believes his missteps have made him a better mixed martial artist.

“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 3 winner will climb back into the Octagon for the first time in nearly 19 months when he confronts Nicolas Dalby as part of the UFC 283 undercard on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Alves started his career with 10 consecutive victories, but losses in five of his past nine bouts forced him to look in the mirror.

“I realized I had made incorrect choices in my life and had been listening to the wrong people,” he told Sherdog.com. “I ended up not performing at the level I’d expected, but everything happens for a reason. This was a period in which I had to mature as an athlete and as a man. Several things had to happen so I could better understand the world. Those losses made me admit, reluctantly, that I had much to learn. We learn from wins and losses; and sometimes, we don’t listen to the right advice and end up paying the price. I’m currently paying for my bad choices.”

Alves points to his most recent outing—a second-round knockout loss to Jeremiah Wells at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26, 2021—as evidence. Wells served as a short-notice replacement for two-time M-1 Global champion Ramazan Emeev and entered the cage as a significant underdog, then proceeded to author the upset.

“I didn’t know much about him,” Alves said. “When I felt he was gassing out after the first round, I tried to rush things. I made a technical error and got countered. It was the first time I’ve been knocked out, [and] I was out.”

Alves has remained on the sidelines ever since, having suffered a torn ACL while training for a clash with Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 270 in January 2022. He took every precaution to ensure a return to full strength went according to plan.

“I always look for ways to evolve,” Alves said. “My main focus has been the recovery of my knee. It takes nine months to rehab. During those nine months, I did light training to protect my knee. Now we’re intensifying things so I can be at full force on fight night.”

Dalby does not figure to serve as a soft landing for the Brazilian. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder has lost just once since 2018, having gone 6-1 with two no contests across his past nine appearances. Dalby last competed at UFC Fight Night 208, where he was awarded a unanimous decision over Claudio Silva on July 23.

“Fighting Nicolas will be great,” Alves said. “He’s experienced and very tough. He’s been around the block. He’s paved his road very well. I’m ready. It will be a striking clash. Neither one of us prefers to grapple. It’s what the fans want to see. They want to see us bang it out. It’s going to be great.”

The assignment also marks Alves’ return to his native Brazil for the first time since 2019. He actually lives within walking distance—roughly a quarter mile—of the arena.

“It’s always great to have fans rooting for you, but in the end, once the cage door closes, it’s just the two of us,” Alves said. “You have to rely on your preparation, training, studies and dedication. The arena is 400 meters from my home. I’m very happy to be fighting in my backyard—literally.”