Tag: Ronaldo Jacare Souza

Luke Rockhold Eyeing March Return Against ‘Jacare’ Souza

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was scheduled to rematch ex-Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza this weekend, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury in which he recently detailed to Submission Radio: “A small bundle pulled off the ACL at the attachment point. I’m trying to go through

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Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was scheduled to rematch ex-Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza this weekend, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury in which he recently detailed to Submission Radio:

“A small bundle pulled off the ACL at the attachment point. I’m trying to go through the natural process of healing which they say there’s a high potential of it reconnecting itself… I’m trying to do everything I can to avoid surgery. That’s key for me because any time you go into ACL – orthoscopic or reconstruction it’s a good 12 months out, pretty much. I’ve been told potentially in a couple of months it could reattach itself and then I can start kicking again.”

When Rockhold and Souza first met back in 2011, Rockhold walked away with a decision victory, and he knew he would need his strong left leg kick in order to get the job done again, giving him essentially no choice, but to pull out of the fight:

“I tried to working around it and if the kick didn’t land flush it really felt like my knee was gonna fall apart. I know I need to show up. This is not the time to go out there and have a half-ass performance. Jacare’s no slouch so I knew I needed my left kick the last time around for Jacare, and I knew I needed it this time. It’s my biggest weapon and not being able to kick is something I dealt with last time. I tried to avoid kicking and certain things you can’t work around leading into a fight.”

Hoping to heal soon, the ex-champion is now looking ahead to the future, and it appears as if he’s eyeing a spring return:

“Given the time table of what’s going on with my potential recovery and Bisping and Yoel Romero probably not fighting until February/March, I think that’s a good time frame. If I can get in that frame around March, that would be perfect for me.”

“If I have a guaranteed title shot to fight Mousasi then I’d love to but I’m not looking to fight the next guy – fight Mousai and then have Jacare try to jump me for that shot… I have a lot of respect for Mousasi but I want to get right back at it. I want my title shot…Jacare’s the most clear cut way back to the title. I’m not looking to fight another guy and have there be a question mark about who gets the next shot. I’m gonna go straight down the throat. I’m gonna get Jacare, finish my business with Jacare, and make no ifs, ands, or buts who’s the next in line to get that shot, whether it’s Bisping or Yoel.”

Mousasi scored a first round TKO victory over Uriah Hall this past weekend in Belfast, while “Jacare” currently doesn’t have a fight scheduled. Rockhold, on the other hand, is coming off of a shocking title-losing performance against Bisping last June.

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Previewing Michael Bisping’s Future As Middleweight Champion

Michael Bisping successfully defended his UFC middleweight title for the very first time at last weekend’s (October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from his home of Manchester, England, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson in a five round war that left him battered and bloodied, albeit still the titleholder. With his first title defense

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Michael Bisping successfully defended his UFC middleweight title for the very first time at last weekend’s (October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from his home of Manchester, England, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson in a five round war that left him battered and bloodied, albeit still the titleholder.

With his first title defense now in the rear-view mirror, Bisping can look at what lies ahead, and it may only get tougher for him from here on out. The murder’s row of middleweight contenders will be competing next month to earn the next shot at divisional supremacy.

Let’s take a deeper look into potential opponents for Bisping and how he may fare against each of them:

Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman

No. 2-ranked former champion Chris Weidman hasn’t competed since surrendering his title to Luke Rockhold at last December’s UFC 194, but he’s set to return to action at November 12’s UFC 205 from New York against No. 4-ranked Yoel Romero.

Weidman was actually scheduled to rematch Rockhold at June 4’s UFC 199, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Bisping stepped up on short notice and took out Rockhold to become the undisputed champion. With that being said, if Weidman can indeed get by Romero, a man who’s won seven straight UFC bouts, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him receive the next title shot.

In terms of how Bisping and Weidman stack up against each other, it would undoubtedly be an interesting clash from a stylistic standpoint.

Weidman has always been a tough and gritty wrestling-based fighter with powerful and ever-improving striking as well as strong submission skills. In my opinion, Bisping may hold the pure striking advantage in terms of combinations, movement, and footwork, although I’d give Weidman the advantage in the grappling department.

Bisping, however, has always had solid takedown defense, and keeping the fight on the feet against Weidman would be a crucial factor. To defend his title against the ex-champion, “The Count” would likely have to use his speed and angles to pick Weidman apart on the feet, while avoiding the New York native’s power. I simply don’t see him having much success if Weidman gets a hold of him.

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Luke Rockhold: New UFC Owners Trying To Keep Paychecks Down

Despite turning down a fight from the UFC last week due to the money being ‘bulls**t’, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold signed on the dotted line earlier this week to step into the Octagon with perennial 185-pound contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza later this year. Rockhold joined the Extra Rounds podcast yesterday (September 15, 2016), courtesy

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Despite turning down a fight from the UFC last week due to the money being ‘bulls**t’, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold signed on the dotted line earlier this week to step into the Octagon with perennial 185-pound contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza later this year.

Rockhold joined the Extra Rounds podcast yesterday (September 15, 2016), courtesy of MMA Fighting, and stated that although he loves to step into the UFC’s Octagon and scrap he still needs to see a pretty paycheck when it’s all said and done:

“I signed my contract with the UFC back before I fought Machida. I had confidence in myself to win the title and I thought that I’d find myself in a better situation but the contract fell back – before I was able to restructure it – to a place where I wasn’t really happy with it.

Seeing what I fell back to and knowing what I’ve accomplished and my credibility in the sport, I wasn’t happy with what they were offering. It’s gonna take more than that to get me to fight. I’ve got other avenues outside the sport, and I’m not gonna go fight when it’s not worth it.

I gotta get my due, I’ve gotta get my worth. No matter how much I love fight, and what I’m doing out here, I need to get f*cking paid.”

Luke RockholdThe UFC has been embroiled in quite a few contract disputes with it’s top tier talents such as UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and now Rockhold.

The AKA product believes the sport is in a bit of a ‘transition period’ in which fighters are beginning to utilize their leverage in contract negotiations to get what they believe they are worth in terms of finances:

“I think we’re in a transition period. I think there’s definitely positive change in the sport and people are starting to realize it’s about leverage in the right situation and understanding your worth… These guys are trying to keep you down on these paychecks, keep you hungry, keep you needing more.”

The new deal seems to have pleased the former 185-pound champ, and believes the fight between him and ‘Jacare’ makes the most sense to lead him back into the title picture:

“They restructured the deal for the time being, and so we got a new contract. We got a new contract upping the money, and we got the right fight so I think this will be the best fight for me right now to get me back to the title. I think we’re clearly the best two guys in the division, so this will solidify myself to going back and getting my gold back.”

Last time out Rockhold failed to respect Michael Bisping at UFC 199 earlier this year, and paid the consequences with a stunning first round knockout loss. Bisping would take home the gold for the first time in his career, and Rockhold would be left disappointed with himself in the Octagon as he knows in his heart he has what it takes to down the British veteran.

BispingStopsRockholdNow Rockhold is going into his bout against Souza with respect for the man that will be standing across from him in the Octagon, and doing what he has to do to get back to the gold belt that once rested across his shoulder:

“It’s about respecting your opponent, something I didn’t do the last time out. I went out there and completely disregarded my opponent and what he brought to the table. Anything can happen in this game and I got caught.

But it doesn’t tell the tale of who the better fighter is. It’s time for me to go back and fight in a way that got me to the title. That’s being a precise, tactical fighter and respecting my opponent. Going in there and doing what I have to do.”

Rockhold will meet Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 live on FS1, from the Rod Laver Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on November 26, 2016.

Jacare-Rockhold

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Breaking: Rockhold vs. ‘Jacare’ Souza II To Headline UFC Melbourne

The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will take on Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 from Melbourne, Australia: A former champion will begin his road back to the top while a top contender seeks redemption as the UFC returns to Melbourne, Australia on Saturday,

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The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will take on Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 from Melbourne, Australia:

A former champion will begin his road back to the top while a top contender seeks redemption as the UFC returns to Melbourne, Australia on Saturday, November 26 (Sunday local time) with a five-round middleweight main event pitting Luke Rockhold against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at Rod Laver Stadium.

FOX Sports 1 will televise the event, which sees the UFC return to Melbourne for the first time since the historic UFC 193 event in November of 2015.

The former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, and currently the No. 1-ranked contender at 185 pounds, Rockhold is eager to erase the memory of his UFC 199 loss to Michael Bisping and get his shot at a rubber match with “The Count” as soon as possible. But first, the Californian has unfinished business with Brazil’s Souza, a ground wizard with potent punching power who believes he is a completely different fighter from the one who lost his Strikeforce title to Rockhold in 2011. Now, fresh off a stirring first-round knockout of Vitor Belfort in May, the No. 3-ranked Souza can make his own case for a title shot with a win over Rockhold.

Rockhold is coming off a first round knockout loss to current title-holder Michael Bisping at UFC 199, in which he dropped his newly acquired title to the British veteran.

Souza comes off a first round thrashing of No. 5-ranked Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 this past June. With a win over a former champion in Rockhold, the Brazilian may finally get his opportunity at UFC gold.

UFC Fight Night 101 takes place live on FS1, from the Rod Laver Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on November 26, 2016.

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‘Jacare’ Souza Needs Help Catching ‘PokeBisping’ On Pokemon GO

The Pokemon GO phenomenon has stretched it’s way across the world these past few months, and now it seems it has managed to make it’s way into the world of the UFC. No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza has been one of the most dangerous 185-pound fighters on the planet for quite some time now. ‘Jacare’ […]

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The Pokemon GO phenomenon has stretched it’s way across the world these past few months, and now it seems it has managed to make it’s way into the world of the UFC.

No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza has been one of the most dangerous 185-pound fighters on the planet for quite some time now. ‘Jacare’ was previously on a eight-fight win streak before running into Yoel Romero at UFC 194 last December, and suffered a razor close split decision loss to the Cuban.

‘Jacare’ was able to regroup following the devastating loss with a vicious first round TKO finish of Vitor Belfort this past May, and is now campaigning for a shot at the UFC 185-pound title.

The man who holds that title, Michael Bisping, will instead be defending it against No. 13-ranked Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 204.

Despite this ‘Jacare’ still continues to campaign for a shot at the belt, using Pokemon GO to poke fun at Bisping via Instagram:

“I’m looking for PokeBisping to battle. Did anyone see him?”

Bisping and Henderson are set to do battle for the gold at UFC 204 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Manchester, England on October 8, 2016.

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Chris Weidman, Jacare Souza React To Bisping vs. Henderson Rematch

In the aftermath of last night’s (July 9, 2016) monumental UFC 200 event from Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC President Dana White announced that newly minted middleweight champion Michael Bisping would likely be defending his title against No. 13-ranked ageing veteran Dan “Hendo” Henderson. Bisping has made it clear that he wants revenge on Henderson, who

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In the aftermath of last night’s (July 9, 2016) monumental UFC 200 event from Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC President Dana White announced that newly minted middleweight champion Michael Bisping would likely be defending his title against No. 13-ranked ageing veteran Dan “Hendo” Henderson.

Bisping has made it clear that he wants revenge on Henderson, who brutally knocked him out back at UFC 100 in 2009, but the announcement has received some criticism as well, most notably from the middleweight division’s top contenders.

Given the fact that “Hendo” has lost three of his last four despite coming off of a stoppage victory over Hector Lombard and is currently ranked No. 13, some feel as if the former Olympian isn’t deserving of a title shot.

No. 2-ranked former champion Chris Weidman and No. 3-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza both took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the matchup:

The translation to Jacare’s tweet is as follows: If the UFC wants to honor Dan Henderson then place him in the UFC Hall of Fame, don’t steal what I won!!

Weidman was set to rematch Luke Rockhold for the title at UFC 199, but was unfortunately forced to withdraw with an injury which led Bisping to step up on short notice and win the title. Weidman has continuously expressed his interest in facing off with Bisping for the title at November 12’s UFC 205 in his home of New York.

“Jacare”, on the other hand, is coming off of a one-sided stoppage victory over Vitor Belfort, and he too appears to be upset with the upcoming title fight.

Do you agree with Weidman and Souza, or are you content with Bisping squaring off with Henderson again?

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