 After picking apart Hughes standing and displaying vastly-improved takedown defense throughout the first round, "The Pitbull" knocked Hughes down with a flying knee and followed him to the ground with punches early in the second, earning a TKO stoppage.In the post fight interview, Alves attributed not making weight to spraining his ankle two weeks before the fight.Next, Alves was slated to face Diego Sanchez at UFC 90, in what many believed would be a match for the number-one contender spot.