Retired UFC Veteran, Ex-Strikeforce Champ ‘Jacare’ Souza Reveals Plans for Boxing Debut

Retired from mixed martial arts since a submission loss to Andre Muniz at UFC 262 last May, Ronaldo Souza is planning a return to combat sports – this time under boxing rules.

"I couldn't stay away from my training routine,” Souza told Sherdog.com. “I began to train boxing and I received a proposal to fight that I liked.”

Since he hasn’t signed the contract yet, “Jacare” was unable to reveal the event and potential opponent for his boxing debut, but he confirmed that the deal is close to being finalized.

"I cannot say the name of the event yet. What I can say is that my boxing is being sharpened already,” he said. “Even though I came from jiu-jitsu, I´ve always loved boxing, and if you see my MMA fights, I’ve always had strong hands.”

Considered one of the most respected jiu-jitsu champions of all-time, Souza was a two-time absolute jiu-jitsu champion (2004 and 2005) and one-time ADCC middleweight champion (2005) . In MMA, he compiled a 26-10 career mark, capturing the Strikeforce middleweight belt in 2010.

“Jacare” began his UFC tenure with victories in seven of his first eight fights – losing only to Yoel Romero in a controversial split decision. However, a TKO defeat to Robert Whittaker in 2017 ruined his hopes of a title shot. After that loss, Souza authored impressive KO wins over Chris Weidman and Derek Brunson before calling it a career after four consecutive defeats within the Las Vegas-based promotion.