{"id":275172,"date":"2018-04-23T08:29:43","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T15:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=275172"},"modified":"2018-04-23T08:29:43","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T15:29:43","slug":"ronaldo-jacare-souza-plans-to-be-the-ufc-middleweight-champion-in-two-fights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ronaldo-jacare-souza\/ronaldo-jacare-souza-plans-to-be-the-ufc-middleweight-champion-in-two-fights\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza plans to be the UFC middleweight champion in two fights"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 12, on the main card of UFC 224, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will return to the cage for a clash with fellow middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum. If Jacare is able to win this fight, he’ll establish himself as one of the top contenders in the crowded UFC middleweight division, and perhaps even earn himself a title shot. At least, that’s what he’s hoping.<\/p>\n

Speaking to MMA Fighting<\/a>, Jacare explained why he accepted a fight with Gastelum, and stated that he believes he’ll be the middleweight champion within two fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you analyze it, there\u2019s no better option [right now],\u201d Souza said. \u201cChris Weidman\u00a0can\u2019t fight now<\/a>, he\u2019s hurt. Kelvin Gastelum is here to fight, I\u2019m here to fight, you know? Here\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen: in two fights I\u2019ll become the UFC middleweight champion.”<\/p>\n

\u201cNo disrespect, it\u2019s just me being confident,” he added. “In two fights, I\u2019ll become the UFC middleweight champion. I\u2019m working for that, and I believe in it, and it will happen. Kelvin is a tough fight, difficult, complicated, but I\u2019m here to defeat anyone and I will win two fights to become UFC champion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UFC middleweight belt is currently owned by Australia’s Robert Whittaker. Whittaker will make his first defense of the title opposite a former opponent in Yoel Romero at UFC 225 this June 9. Jacare, who has lost to both men previously, hopes to watch this fight from cage side, but has no preference as far as the winner goes.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI just hope it\u2019s a good fight and the better man wins,\u201d Souza told MMA Fighting. \u201cI want to be there, front row, watching who will win. I will fight the winner of this fight. I\u2019m not rooting for any of them. Whoever has a better game plan will win that night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you want to see the winner of Jacare and Gastelum’s UFC 224 scrap battle the winner of Whittaker and Romero’s UFC 225 title fight?<\/p>\n

This article first appeared on\u00a0<\/i>BJPenn.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u00a0on 4\/23\/2018.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On May 12, on the main card of UFC 224, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will return to the cage for a clash with fellow middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum. If Jacare is able to win this fight, he’ll establish himself as one of the top contenders in the crowded UFC middleweight division, and perhaps even earn himself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54430,"featured_media":275174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[10345],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nRonaldo "Jacare" Souza plans to be the UFC middleweight champion in two fights | BJPenn.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ronaldo-jacare-souza\/ronaldo-jacare-souza-plans-to-be-the-ufc-middleweight-champion-in-two-fights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza plans to be the UFC middleweight champion in two fights | BJPenn.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On May 12, on the main card of UFC 224, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will return to the cage for a clash with fellow middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum. 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