No UFC 117 workout day, what's wrong with Alves?

There are plenty of stories to go around at UFC 117 ,and now there's a little more drama to follow. Thiago Alves wasn't at today's open workouts for the media and fans. If it was any other fighter then maybe it wouldn't be a big deal, but since Alves just went through a scary ordeal back in March, the mind can race to some crazy conclusions.

Just two days before a scheduled fight with Jon Fitch at UFC 111, the welterweight was told he couldn't fight and his career might be over. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Alves was saved from something potentially devastating in the Octagon and discovered that he needed surgery. The problem was fixed during a minor surgery at the end of March.

Alves is back less than five months later, but he's still dealing with the same issue he does before every fight, a massive weight cut. Rumors said Alves was roughly 20 pounds away from the welterweight limit of 170 pounds. Yahoo! Sports' Dave Meltzer spoke with Alves, who said everything was okay but he did need Wednesday afternoon to continue cutting weight.

So what happens if Alves can't make 170? Should Fitch still fight him? There's a potential title shot on the line against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.