Ronaldo Souza separated himself from the pack in the middleweight division on Friday night. And in doing so, he avenged one of the worst moments of his career.
The Brazilian known as “Jacare” put on a clinic against Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC Fight Night 50. Souza dominated Mousasi for the better part of three rounds before submitting him with a guillotine and taking the rematch of former Strikeforce light heavyweight champs.
The time of the finish at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut was at 4:30 of the third, as the X-Gym and Team Nogueira fighter avenged a 2008 up kick knockout loss in Dream.
With the victory, Souza (21-3, 1 NC) won his seventh straight fight. Six of them have been finishes.
“If anyone doubts me, they are completely wrong,” Souza said through an interpreter. “I am next for the title.”
Souza went after a sluggish Mousasi (35-5) from the outset. He controlled every aspect of the fight, from crisp striking to effortless takedowns to constant work to improve his position and go for submissions on the ground.
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Other than one brief tease of a moment in the first round in which it appeared Mousasi might incredibly repeat his upkick performance, Souza essentially dominated the fight from bell to bell. Sensing the opportunity late in the third, he cinched a super-tight guillotine and didn’t let go until Mousasi tapped.
In campaigning for the next title shot after Chris Weidman’s Dec. 6 title defense against Vitor Belfort, Souza pointed out that Weidman’s last challenger, Lyoto Machida, got his shot after going five rounds with Mousasi, while Souza was able to finish Mousasi.
“Lyoto fought him for five rounds, and I finished him,” Souza said.