Rafael Alves makes his UFC debut Saturday at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas against short-notice replacement Pat Sabatini in a featherweight bout at UFC Vegas 19, but that will be just a quick stop at 145 pounds.
A former Titan FC interim lightweight champion, Alves decided to cut extra 10 pounds for his first UFC appearance after finishing Alejandro Flores at Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2020. “The Turn,” however, has decided to follow the advice of MMA Masters’ teammate Colby Covington.