Ronaldo Souza Willing to Walk Away Without Title Shot, Big Fights
Ronaldo Souza Willing to Walk Away Without Title Shot, Big Fights
Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza willing to retire if he doesn't get a title shot or big fights.
By Shawn Smith
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza has made clear exactly what he wants from the UFC and if he doesn't get it, we might be saying goodbye to one of MMA's greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners.
Souza, who is 24-4 as an MMA fighter and 7-1 in the UFC, has been near the top of the UFC's middleweight division for three years now, waiting patiently for his chance to fight for a UFC championship.
It sounds as though the former Strikeforce middleweight champion is finally running out of patience.
MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz reports from Brazil that Souza said he could make as much money teaching jiu-jitsu as he does fighting.
"I'm happy to be fighting," Souza said. "But I have no problem stopping fighting. I stopped competing in jiu-jitsu in 2005 when I was at the top of my career, and if I think it's too much for me, that I'm full of it, I can stop fighting. That's it. I can open my own gym, make as much money as I make fighting, and be happy."
Souza has made clear that he also wants rematches with Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero, both of which he lost to in controversial fashion throughout his career.
Instead, Souza has been booked to fight rising contender Robert Whitaker at UFC on FOX 24.
He believes he's being held to a different standard than Rockhold and other fighters who have received title shots in recent years.
"Lyoto (Machida) defeated (Gegard) Mousasi and fought for the belt," Souza said. "I not only defeat Mousasi, but I did it convincingly, submitted him, and didn't fight for the belt. Those are things that happen to me, and I think it's weird. I don't sell (pay-per-views)? Cut the bullsh*t. You don't know what you're talking about."
Despite his displeasure with a lack of important fights, Souza said he has no plans to stop fighting anytime soon.
"I'm hungry to fight, to do my job," Souza said. "That's not something that affects me. Everybody sees I'm excited, I want fights. Unfortunately, it's not the fight I wanted. I wanted Luke, everybody knows that. Everybody knows I asked for Romero too."
UFC on FOX 24 takes place April 15 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza has made clear exactly what he wants from the UFC and if he doesn't get it, we might be saying goodbye to one of MMA's greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners.
Souza, who is 24-4 as an MMA fighter and 7-1 in the UFC, has been near the top of the UFC's middleweight division for three years now, waiting patiently for his chance to fight for a UFC championship.
It sounds as though the former Strikeforce middleweight champion is finally running out of patience.
MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz reports from Brazil that Souza said he could make as much money teaching jiu-jitsu as he does fighting.
"I'm happy to be fighting," Souza said. "But I have no problem stopping fighting. I stopped competing in jiu-jitsu in 2005 when I was at the top of my career, and if I think it's too much for me, that I'm full of it, I can stop fighting. That's it. I can open my own gym, make as much money as I make fighting, and be happy."
Souza has made clear that he also wants rematches with Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero, both of which he lost to in controversial fashion throughout his career.
Instead, Souza has been booked to fight rising contender Robert Whitaker at UFC on FOX 24.
He believes he's being held to a different standard than Rockhold and other fighters who have received title shots in recent years.
"Lyoto (Machida) defeated (Gegard) Mousasi and fought for the belt," Souza said. "I not only defeat Mousasi, but I did it convincingly, submitted him, and didn't fight for the belt. Those are things that happen to me, and I think it's weird. I don't sell (pay-per-views)? Cut the bullsh*t. You don't know what you're talking about."
Despite his displeasure with a lack of important fights, Souza said he has no plans to stop fighting anytime soon.
"I'm hungry to fight, to do my job," Souza said. "That's not something that affects me. Everybody sees I'm excited, I want fights. Unfortunately, it's not the fight I wanted. I wanted Luke, everybody knows that. Everybody knows I asked for Romero too."
UFC on FOX 24 takes place April 15 in Kansas City, Missouri.