UFC fighter Thiago Alves was unable to fight in last weekends UFC 111 after he failed a pre-fight exam. A CT scan turned up an abnormality on the left side of his brain that required medical intervention.

‘Pitbull’ underwent an 8 hour surgery on his brain at a hospital in New York City earlier today, where doctors were able to separate an artery from a vein.

The procedure was a success according to UFC president Dana White.  His first words in the recovery room were, “When can I start training again?”  White’s response was, “a couple of weeks.”

The “Pitbull” will have to stay in ICU for a couple of days, but is in good shape and will be back in action soon.

More photos and video capturing Alves finding out about the brain issue below:

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