Recent UFC winner Patrick Cote wants fight with Thiago Alves this fall

Patrick Cote is respectfully calling for a fight with fellow UFC welterweight Thiago Alves.

After both men recorded crucial career wins in the month of April – Cote over Kyle Noke at the TUF Nations Finale and Alves over Seth Baczynski at UFC on FOX 11 – “The Predator” believes now is the ideal time to fight the dangerous Brazilian.

Cote (20-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) admittedly carries respect for Alves (20-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC), but in the former 170-pound title challenger, he sees a path into the upper-echelon of the weight class.

“A lot people were talking about me versus Thiago Alves,” Cote told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’m a big fan of Thiago Alves; I have a huge respect for him. I’m a fan of him. I like to watch him fight and I think that can be a great fight.”

Cote insists there is no bad blood toward Alves, he just believes that since they both prefer to keep their fights standing, the clash of styles would make for a can’t-miss affair.

There is no disrespect intended with his request to fight Alves, but if Cote had things his way, that would be his next contest, ideally sometime before October.

“I’m not calling him out, but I’m staying ready to go,” Cote said. “I’m back in the gym a week after my fight and I’m staying in shape. When they call me, I’m going to be ready. I want to fight no later than October. For me, that would be better.”

Currently riding his first three-fight UFC winning streak since 2008, Cote revitalized his career with a drop to the welterweight division this past year.

A coaching stint on “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations” further elevated his notoriety in the weight class, as he defeated opposing coach Noke at the conclusion of the season.

Everything has finally begun to come together for the 34-year-old, and while many may believe his middleweight title bout with Anderson Silva at UFC 90 will go down as the high point of his career, Cote intends on having plenty more memorable moments going forward.

He would like one of those moments to come against Alves and is hopeful UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will provide him with the opportunity to tame “The Pitbull.”

“I’m a big fan of Thiago – this is not a call-out. But I’m a big fan,” Cote said. “I know he came back after two years off and did an amazing job. I think stylistically, it can be a great fight, and if the fight happens I’ll be ready. I would have to be 100 percent to fight this guy.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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