Two top-ranked middleweights will reportedly square off in the main event of January 27’s UFC on FOX 27. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, No. 7-ranked Derek Brunson told him he had signed a bout agreement to fight No. 5-ranked Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the headlining bout of the event from Charlotte, N.C.’s Spectrum Center. The bout […]
Two top-ranked middleweights will reportedly square off in the main event of January 27’s UFC on FOX 27.
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, No. 7-ranked Derek Brunson told him he had signed a bout agreement to fight No. 5-ranked Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the headlining bout of the event from Charlotte, N.C.’s Spectrum Center.
The bout has not been officially announced by the UFC, but Brunson told ESPN he had signed his agreement and expected Souza to do the same very soon:
“I signed my contract and I’m pretty sure Jacare signed his contract. I expect the UFC to announce it soon.”
Brunson heads into the bout on a two-fight win streak, his most recent a dominant first-round knockout over former light heavyweight champion in the main event of October 28’s UFC Sao Paulo. His last loss came by controversial decision to longtime former middleweight champion Anderon Silva at February’s UFC 208.
He’ll look to score his biggest-ever win against the feared Jacare in a rematch of their first fight in Strikeforce, which Souza won with a thunderous left hook. The 37-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend had been on the cusp of a UFC title shot, but a TKO loss to current interim champion Robert Whittaker in his last bout this April derailed those plans for the time being.
Brunson discussed his prior loss to Souza, believing he was a young fighter who got overaggressive against a former champion and has learned over the years:
“I was a young, talented prospect back then,. Strikeforce let me take a fight on short notice outside the promotion and I got robbed on a split decision against Kendall Grove. I easily won that fight. So, I went from 9-0 to getting robbed and suffering my first loss.
“I get back to Strikeforce and they put me right with Jacare. I was still pissed about the loss and said, ‘I’m about to go torch this former champion.’ I went out super aggressive and he caught me. The punch he threw, he ducked his head and closed his eyes. I came running in and he caught me on the chin.
“I had to deal with that for years. I was pissed off about it for a long time.”
UFC President Dana White also recently revealed the fight was set during his lengthy scrum with reporters yesterday but did not give an exact date for the match-up.
Jacare Souza knows who he is picking in the interim middleweight title match-up between No. 1-ranked Yoel Romero and No. 3-ranked Robert Whittaker, seeing as he has shared the Octagon with both men. It was announced earlier this year that current UFC 185-pound champ Michael Bisping would defend his strap against the returning former welterweight […]
Jacare Souza knows who he is picking in the interim middleweight title match-up between No. 1-ranked Yoel Romero and No. 3-ranked Robert Whittaker, seeing as he has shared the Octagon with both men.
It was announced earlier this year that current UFC 185-pound champ Michael Bisping would defend his strap against the returning former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre, however, no date or venue was ever set for the bout. St-Pierre stated that he wouldn’t be ready to fight until after October, prompting UFC President Dana White to call the fight off and make other arrangements.
Instead, “Rush” will return to his former championship weight of 185 pounds while Bisping nurses an injury. In the meanwhile, the UFC’s middleweight title will receive an interim champion this weekend (Sat. July 8, 2017) when Romero and Whittaker are locked in the Octagon.
Jacare Souza is a man who has fought both of these top-ranked middleweight contenders, suffering a controversial split decision loss to Romero in December of 2015 and a knockout loss to Whittaker earlier this year, and offered his pick for this weekend’s title clash. The Brazilian picked Romero to walk away victorious due to his massive size and ability to remain calm under pressure (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“I think Romero wins this fight,” Souza said. “He’s stronger, keeps the distance well and is really calm. Robert Whittaker can surprise him and win because he’s really fast for the middleweight division, but I bet on Romero.”
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Although the UFC waited until after Jacare lost to Whittaker to implement the interim strap, he isn’t holding any grudges and is eager to see a good fight between two of the UFC’s finest at 185 pounds:
“Better late than never,” he said. “Robert Whittaker is a great champion and earned this chance. I’m happy for him. And Romero also proved he deserved it by knocking out (Chris) Weidman. They deserve to fight for the interim belt and then fight Bisping.
“The division is finally moving now. I’m coming back and will earn my title shot.”
UFC on Fox 24 showcased once again why Demetrious Johnson has clearly earned the right of being dubbed the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world. His victory over Wilson Reis may not have shocked many in terms of the ultimate result, but the manner in which Johnson got the job done was nothing short of eye opening. Reis, while competitive in the opening frame, was ultimately dominated in the second and third rounds. I’ve got more to say about Johnson in a future article, but for now let’s focus on the other stars of UFC on Fox 24, namely Rose Namajunas and Robert Whittaker.
UFC on Fox 24 showcased once again why Demetrious Johnson has clearly earned the right of being dubbed the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world. His victory over Wilson Reis may not have shocked many in terms of the ultimate result, but the manner in which Johnson got the job done was nothing short of eye opening. Reis, while competitive in the opening frame, was ultimately dominated in the second and third rounds. I’ve got more to say about Johnson in a future article, but for now let’s focus on the other stars of UFC on Fox 24, namely Rose Namajunas and Robert Whittaker.
What Rose Namajunas was able to pull off in her victory over Michelle Waterson was nothing short of amazing. Both women were competitive in the co-main event, but it was Namajunas that would make the necessary adjustments to pull off the victory. Waterson utilized her side kick brilliantly but found herself in trouble after executed a head and arm throw, the most overused and dangerous technique in women’s MMA, and eventually found herself on the bottom of Namajunas. Rose would win the first frame handily but it’s what happened in the second round that had me most impressed.
Waterson’s side kicks were landing to Namajunas’ knee with continual thudding impact. Understanding this, Rose made a slight adjustment. Waterson was firing her kicks from a southpaw side stance. ‘The Karate Hottie’ made a fatal mistake by faking the kick with a chambered right leg but not resetting quickly. As Waterson lazily placed her right foot down to the mat, Namajunas shifted to her left, obtaining a strong outside angle, and launching a right high kick that floored her foe. From there it was a matter of some strong ground and pound, superior positioning and a deep rear naked choke. You’ve gotta think that Rose Namajunas is most likely going to be the next challenger for the strawweight belt.
Robert Whittaker also made a huge impression with his victory over Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. What was perhaps most impressive about this one was how patient Robert Whittaker has become. No longer the slugging, overly aggressive striker that he once was, Whittaker has been able to adopt a far more strategic approach to his striking as of late. His karate background showed in this bout as he bounced on his toes, light on his feet, and shifting in and out with punches. But what was most impressive was his ability to feint and keep Jacare guessing with every exchange. Jacare had some success with his right hand and even landed a takedown, but he would eventually succumb to the two things that make Whittaker dangerous.
One, Whittaker feints a ton and every real strike he throws is done so with variety while appearing to seem like the same movement. His punches are tight and his elbows always stay tucked in towards the centerline. That makes it difficult for the opponent to see if he’s going to launch a jab or a hook with his left hand, a straight cross or an uppercut with his right. Whittaker was utilizing his jabs to get a read on what Jacare would counter back with, then, once he was comfortable with the timing, exploded forward with a sharp right cross. From there we saw the young middleweight land a variety of strikes including that rear uppercut and a high right kick that nearly shut off Jacare’s lights. Some follow ground and pound and an oddly timed stoppage later and you’ve got your next big middleweight contender. Since things are so log jammed at the top of the division however, it’s likely that Whittaker will have to wait for a title shot. That means he’ll have the distinct pleasure of facing off with either former champ Luke Rockhold or the terrifying Yoel Romero. That’s like picking your poison where those match ups are concerned.
What should come next for the new contenders at UFC on Fox 24?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
Last night’s (Sat., April 15, 2017) UFC on FOX 24 from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri featured a bevy of impressive finishes, including a huge middleweight shakeup when Robert Whittaker finished heavily favored Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza with a jaw-dropping stoppage in the second round. The morning after the fight, current UFC middleweight champion Michael
Last night’s (Sat., April 15, 2017) UFC on FOX 24 from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri featured a bevy of impressive finishes, including a huge middleweight shakeup when Robert Whittaker finished heavily favored Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza with a jaw-dropping stoppage in the second round.
The morning after the fight, current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who is currently awaiting the announcement of a date for his upcoming bout against Georges St-Pierre, posted the following on his official Instagram account to all those who suggested he was running from their alligator-named favorite fighter:
While it’s a harsh bit of trolling from “The Count,” it’s not a surprising one considering the outspoken style he’s always implemented to promote his fights, a style that he has ramped up to a more prominent and publicized level ever since he nocked out Luke Rockhold to steal the belt on short notice at last year’s UFC 199.
The second clearest legitimate contender to his throne has now been knocked out of contention as it stands, although a new one in Whittaker, whom was ironically once scheduled to fight Bisping himself, may have arisen to join consensus No. 1 Yoel Romero.
Either way, there are some wholly interesting and potentially very dangerous challenges on the horizon for Bisping, but he’s going to have to find out when he’s fighting St-Pierre first. Welcome to the 185-pound landscape in 2017, fight fans.
On the main card from tonight’s (Sat. April 15, 2017) UFC on FOX 24 event from Kansas City, Missouri, a pivotal middleweight bout between No. 3-ranked Ronaldo Souza and No. 6-ranked Robert Whittaker. Jacare came into the fight on a two-fight win streak since suffering a controversial split decision loss to Yoel Romero, and Whittaker
On the main card from tonight’s (Sat. April 15, 2017) UFC on FOX 24 event from Kansas City, Missouri, a pivotal middleweight bout between No. 3-ranked Ronaldo Souza and No. 6-ranked Robert Whittaker.
Jacare came into the fight on a two-fight win streak since suffering a controversial split decision loss to Yoel Romero, and Whittaker was on an amazing six-fight win streak after having made the jump up to 185 pounds.
In the first round Souza attempted to get the fight to the ground, as expected, but Whittaker was able to keep the fight standing and scramble out of a few dangerous spots on the mat. Whittaker set up his left hook to end the round.
To open up the second round Whittaker again returned to his left hook and found a home for it multiple times, eventually rocking his Brazilian counterpart a few times. After a nasty head-kick and a few unanswered strikes on the ground, the referee waived the bout off and ‘The Reaper’ earned the biggest win of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
Whittaker officially took home a second round TKO win over Souza at the 3:28 mark.
You can check out the full fight video highlights here:
With the final fight on his contract approaching Saturday night at UFC on FOX 24, officials and top middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza have worked out a new deal. Souza’s new contract is for eight fights and will begin with his bout vs. Robert Whittaker from Kansas City. UFC president Dana White posted a picture […]
With the final fight on his contract approaching Saturday night at UFC on FOX 24, officials and top middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza have worked out a new deal. Souza’s new contract is for eight fights and will begin with his bout vs. Robert Whittaker from Kansas City. UFC president Dana White posted a picture […]
