Issue 144
August 2016
Jacare Souza’s long wait for a UFC title shot has only made him hungrier for success
As the next in line for the middleweight championship of the world, you’d expect Ronaldo Souza dos Santos to be tearing down walls and ripping through sparring partners as he counts down the hours on the clock to his first title fight inside the UFC Octagon. But you’d be wrong. After all, the man known as ‘Jacare’ (Portuguese for ‘alligator’) has waited patiently for the perfect time to strike and catch his prey.
PREY
After watching helplessly as a friend was shot dead in front of him, Souza’s mother insisted he move to Manaus in Northern Brazil to live with his older brother to escape gang violence. He was introduced to jiu-jitsu in the Amazonian city, where his athletic gifts were spotted by Henrique Machado whilst playing soccer.
Jacare found his calling and became the star pupil at the ASLE academy. “From the first day I practically lived in the gym, sl-eeping there often, and training all day,” he recalls. “That’s how I got the name Jacare, as the logo of the gym was an alligator.” And, as he often says, “it was love at first practice.”
National titles and honors soon followed, but it was money that Jacare craved as he aimed to start a family of his own. A move to Rio de Janeiro was the only logical step, and after linking up with the Nogueira brothers and later Anderson Silva, he was soon set out on a path to MMA’s upper echelons.
“Nobody ever asked me to become a fighter, it was my decision and one I made purely because I had the desire and ambition to fight,” he says. “It could teach jiu-jitsu to make money. But ultimately I wanted to fight because I enjoy it most of all.”
After losing on his pro debut with the respected Jungle Fight promotion, Souza lost just once more – against Gegard Mousasi in Japan – in 14 fights before getting the chance to fight for the Strikeforce belt.He faced Tim Kennedy in Texas in the summer of 2010 and produced the performance of his life to outpoint the tough American to take the title.
Five months later he made his first defense by submitting current UFC 170lb champion Robbie Lawler. And it was his Stateside successes that transformed Jacare into a global MMA star.
PREDATOR
Luke Rockhold, however, ended that reign. The AKA pressure-fighter relieved the Brazilian of the Strikeforce title in September 2011. The fight went the distance but there was no mistaking who deserved the crown and Jacare returned home a beaten man. But he wasn’t defeated for long.
In fact, he’s been on a tear since, winning nine and losing just once – although that sole defeat, to Yoel Romero in December, was shrouded in controversy because of the dubious judges’ decision and the Cuban’s positive post-fight test for a banned substance.
Jacare points to his only outing this year so far as the real benchmark as to where he ranks in the red-hot middleweight class. His first-round TKO of former champion Vitor Belfort in Curitiba in May was arguably the biggest moment in his career so far and pushed him closer to the championship belt.
The 36-year-old believes he’s been made to wait longer than most for his chance at the UFC title, but says he’s finally getting what’s rightfully his. “Time means nothing. Just because someone is in the UFC for a long time doesn’t mean they will get a title fight,” Souza says. “You have to beat the best guys and I’ve defeated the best guys to get my shot at the belt. I know I’m next. I’ve earned my title shot. I’m focused on fighting for the title next, nothing else. That’s all I have in my future. The belt will be mine next fight.”
After Michael Bisping knocked out Rockhold in sensational fashion at UFC 199, Jacare is amidst a feeding frenzy at 185lb. Just how he likes it.
Gator roll
70% tapout percentage
Once Jacare gets hold of his opponents it’s likely they’ll tap. No fewer than 16 of his 23 wins have come via submission. Although it’s really no surprise given his two gold medals at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champs, and eight World Jiu-Jitsu titles.
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