Over the weekend, on the undercard of the UFC’s latest stop in Washington, D.C., former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves suffered a tough, submission loss to Tim Means. It was his fourth loss in his last five fights.

Speaking on Instagram on Sunday, Alves issued a poignant statement on this latest setback.

Despite his recent rough patch, Alves says he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

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“The fighting game! I chose this life and I put it all on the line every time I step in that octagon, so no regrets here. This is definitely not the outcome I wanted and worked so hard for. But one of the reasons I love mma is bc just like in life, you don’t always get what you want. It’s very honest and pure,” Alves wrote. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to literally fight for my dreams and the life that I want. I like to thank my team @americantopteam all my coaches and teammates for the amazing work we do. My beautiful wife @mrsalves for putting up with me and my crazy lifestyle. And to all my true fans for the unconditional support, I thank you. I’m not done yet, I still got a lotta fight left in me. Let’s see where this crazy journey takes me next. Osss.”.

Prior to his loss to Means, Alves lost a decision to Laureano Staropoli. This setback was preceded by a close decision win over Max Griffin, a decision loss to Alexey Kunchenko, and a knockout loss to Curtis Millender.

Alves challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title at the historic UFC 100 card in 2009. He’s competed inside the UFC’s Octagon a whopping 27 times. Now 36 years old, he’s 32-15 overall as a mixed martial artist.

What do you think the future hold for Thiago Alves after his loss to Tim Means?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/9/2019.