Thiago Alves will face the biggest challenge of his career when he takes on welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100. Here’s an excellent interview with Alves where he talks about GSP, how he got into MMA, and his new found maturity as a fighter:

“The first time I saw the UFC was back in Brazil, I was a little kid,” Alves said on a recent media call promoting the event. “I think I was like 14 or 13 years old and I think it was one of the first UFC’s.

“I just liked the fact that it was two guys in a cage just going at it. … I thought it was a beautiful thing.”

Alves’ first efforts in combat sport started in the striking realm, a history evident in “Pitbull’s” 10 career knockout or TKO victories in the MMA world, including seven in the UFC. But the 25-year-old knows it will take more than just great striking to unseat St. Pierre from his championship perch.

“[St. Pierre] is dangerous everywhere,” Alves said. “You know you’ve got to be careful with him everywhere and not just with the takedowns. Takedowns are just another weapon that he has. He’s a dangerous striker, and he’s got great jiu-jitsu, so I’m prepared for everything.

“I’ve been training with the best wrestlers here in the country and being trained by the best strikers not in the country, but in the world. I’ve got the best jiu-jitsu guys with me. So I’m prepared. I’m prepared for everything that he’s got.”

Debuting in the UFC in 2005 with a loss on his 22nd birthday, Alves has since won nine of his past 10 bouts.

And while an April 2008 win was protested greatly by opponent Karo Parisyan, and a June 2008 victory over Matt Hughes was marred by the need for a four-pound allowance at the weigh-ins – not to mention a 2007 suspension for using a banned diuretic – Alves insists he will leave no doubt as to his intentions and abilities at UFC 100.

“I just grew up,” Alves said. “After my loss against Jon Fitch (in 2006), I [asked myself], ‘What are you doing?’ And after my suspension, I was just like, ‘Bro, I can’t do that – I can’t do that to myself, and there’s just two ways to take this sport. Either you’re in 100 percent or you’re not. So if you’re going to do this, just take everything you’ve got and put it in the sport and make that you’re life.’

“That’s what I did; I lived the sport. I’ve been living this since I was 14 years old, you know? But right now, the last couple years, it’s just – it was even more clear what I want from me, what my goals are.”

Thiago Alves interview @ MMA Junkie