Ronaldo Souza dos Santos (born December 7, 1979), nicknamed " Jacare" (), is a Brazilian former

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and

submission grappler Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

who competed for

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

from 2013 to 2021. A highly regarded grappler on the world stage, Souza is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, and has also formerly competed for

DREAM A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

and

Jungle Fight Jungle Fight is a Brazilian mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. It was created in 2003. The name is derived from its origin, the Amazonas state in Brazil. History Jungle Fight was founded by pioneering MMA fighter and long-time Brazi ...

Background

Souza was born in

Vila Velha Vila Velha (; Portuguese for "Old Village") is a coastal city in Espírito Santo, Brazil. It lies across from Vitória, the state capital. Its population was 501,325 (2020) and its area is 210.23 km². Location Vila Velha forms part of th ...

, Brazil, into a cafuzo family and was raised in

Cariacica Cariacica is a municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan area. Location Cariacica is located 10 km northwest of Vitória, the capital of the state. It has a population of 383,917 (2020) ...

, Brazil. Souza had a rough upbringing, and on the day he turned 15, he saw one of his good friends get shot to death. After this event, Souza's mother moved him to

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

to go and live with his brother and he started training in Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was 17. He is an eight-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, including gold medals in the Openweight class in 2003, 2004 and 2005. His other credentials include the 2005 77–87 kg ADCC Champion and the 2005 ADCC Absolute Division runner-up, only losing to

Roger Gracie Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes; 26 September, 1981) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor. The son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes and grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie, ...

who outweighed him by approximately 25 lbs. Along with

and Marcelo Garcia, Souza is widely considered to be among the greatest BJJ practitioners of his time.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Souza made his mixed martial arts debut on September 9, 2003, at ''Jungle Fights inaugural event where he lost to Jorge "Macaco" Patino by KO at 3:13 into the first round. He returned to mixed martial arts eight months later at ''Jungle Fight 2'' securing a submission win over Victor Babkir under a minute into the first round. His next fight was in April 2006 at ''Jungle Fight 6'' where he got his second win, defeating

Alexander Shlemenko Alexander Pavlovich Shlemenko (russian: Александр Павлович Шлеменко, born 20 May 1984) is a Russian mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight division. He is most notable for fighti ...

by an

arm triangle choke Arm triangle choke, side choke, or head and arm choke are generic terms describing blood chokeholds in which the opponent is strangled in between their own shoulder and the practitioner's arm. This is as opposed to the regular triangle choke, whi ...

submission. He went on to fight twice before the end of 2006, winning both fights by submission during the first round. In 2006, Souza fought and drew with UFC Hall of Famer

Randy Couture Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...

in a grappling contest. After the match Souza was invited by Couture to train at his gym. Souza accepted and started training at

Xtreme Couture Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts is an American mixed martial arts training organization headed by former UFC Champion and former co-founder of Team Quest, Randy Couture. Xtreme Couture was founded with the flagship gym in Las Vegas. Since the ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Souza's first fight of 2007 was on May 19 with him scoring a submission win due to strikes over veteran Bill Vucick at ''Gracie Fighting Championships: Evolution''. He would next fight twice within a two-week period on September 29 and October 13, scoring two submission wins both within the first round.

DREAM

In 2008, Souza signed with Japanese MMA-promotion

and was scheduled to participate in the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand-Prix. In the first round of the tournament, at

DREAM 2 ''Dream 2: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 1st Round'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Dream. It took place on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan. The event hosted the opening round of the promoti ...

on April 29, 2008, he defeated Ian Murphy by a

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

submission in the first round. This secured him a place in the quarter-finals which took place at DREAM 4 on June 15 where he fought former ICON Sport Middleweight Champion

Jason "Mayhem" Miller Jason Nicholas Miller (born December 24, 1980) best known as Mayhem Miller is an American mixed martial arts fighter and TV host. Miller coaches fighters in Irvine, California at Mayhem Martial Arts and has trained extensively with Kings MMA in ...

. The fight went the distance with Souza continuously going for submissions with Miller escaping multiple rear-naked choke, leglock and armbar-attempts while mounting his own offense on the feet. Souza was awarded a unanimous decision victory which secured him a place in the semi-final of the Middleweight Grand-Prix. In the semi-finals which took place at

DREAM 6 ''Dream 6: Middle Weight Grandprix 2008 Final Round'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream (mixed martial arts), Dream on September 23, 2008. The event hosted the crown ...

on September 23, Souza defeated Zelg Galesic early in the first round by armbar submission. The victory earned him a place in the finals of the tournament and a shot at the DREAM Middleweight Championship against

Gegard Mousasi Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985), is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. As of December 13, 2022, he is #10 in the Bellator MMA ...

that same night. In the fight Souza was knocked out early in the first round by an upkick as he attempted to dive past Mousasi's guard to land a strike of his own. After participating in the tournament, Souza left Xtreme Couture and went to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

to train with Saulo and

Xande Ribeiro Alexandre Ribeiro (born January 20, 1981) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, mixed martial artist and submission wrestler. He is a two-time World Black Belt Absolute (open weight) World ...

, before leaving to train with

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 and ...

and

André Galvão André Luiz Leite Galvão (; born September 29, 1982) is a Brazilian grappler and professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A 4th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Fernando "Tererê" Augusto as well as a Judo black belt, ...

in preparation for Silva's upcoming bout with

Thales Leites Thales Leites Lourenço (; born 6 September 1981) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist best known for competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Leites made his m ...

at ''

UFC 97 ''UFC 97: Redemption'' (not to be confused with ''UFC 17: Redemption'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 18, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background This event broke the UFC attendanc ...

'' at Black House. Souza fought in the DREAM Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Jason Miller at ''

DREAM 9 ''Dream.9: Feather Weight Grand Prix 2009 Second Round'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream on May 26, 2009. It featured the second round of the promotion's featherwe ...

'' after Gegard Mousasi vacated the title when moving up to Light Heavyweight. The fight was called a no contest due to an illegal kick to the head that opened up a gash on Souza's head.

Strikeforce

Souza made his Strikeforce debut on December 19, 2009, at Strikeforce: Evolution with a first-round submission win over

Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for t ...

, via arm-triangle choke. In this fight, Souza showed a major improvement in his stand up game and striking. Souza faced

Joey Villaseñor Joey Simon Villaseñor (born October 17, 1975) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1999 until 2012, Villasenor competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Strikeforce (mixed martial arts), St ...

on May 15, 2010, at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery. He won the fight via unanimous decision, dominating the first round, being very aggressive, achieving the mount position and almost achieving the submission, but slowed down on the 2nd and 3rd round. Souza fought Tim Kennedy on August 21, 2010, at Strikeforce: Houston for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, and won via unanimous decision. Souza then defended the belt for the first time against

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

, on January 29, 2011, at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg. In his second defense, Souza lost his Middleweight Championship against

American Kickboxing Academy The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the ''AKA Thailand'' gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent trainers inc ...

fighter

Luke Rockhold Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competed in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight division. ...

via unanimous decision (50–45, 48–47, and 48–47). On March 3, 2012, Souza made his sixth Strikeforce appearance against late replacement Bristol Marunde. Souza won via arm-triangle choke, submitting Marunde at 2:43 of the final round. On August 18, 2012, Souza faced

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

in his seventh Strikeforce appearance. Souza dropped Brunson early with a counter right hand which planted Brunson on the mat and landed three ground strikes, knocking out Brunson in just 41 seconds. Souza faced

veteran

Ed Herman Edward Benson Herman (born October 2, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2002, Herman was a finalis ...

at the final

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

card, Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine, on January 12, 2013. He won via submission in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2013

Souza signed a five-fight deal with the UFC in January 2013. Souza was expected to make his promotional debut against

Costas Philippou Constantinos Philippou ( gr, Κωνσταντίνος Φιλίππου, born November 29, 1979) is a retired Greek-Cypriot mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the UFC's Middleweight division. Early life Philippou was born in Limassol o ...

on May 18, 2013, at

UFC on FX 8 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Philippou pulled out of the bout in early May, citing a cut above his eye, and was replaced by

Chris Camozzi Christopher Allen Camozzi (born November 20, 1986) is an American professional Glory kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Camozzi has formerly competed in th ...

. Souza arm-triangle choked Camozzi unconscious in the first round. Souza next knocked out

Yushin Okami is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2002, Okami has competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Pancrase, M-1 Global, World Series of Fighting, DEEP, Professional Fighters League, and ONE Championship. Mixed martial arts caree ...

in the first round on September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28.

2014

Souza beat

Francis Carmont Francis Carmont (born October 10, 1981) is a French professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, Carmont has competed for Bellator MMA, the UFC, and KSW. Mixed mart ...

by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, and 30–27) on February 15, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 36 ''UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 36'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 15, 2014, at the Arena Jaraguá in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background ...

. After, he said he was injured during his training camp and would require a minimum of six weeks for recovery. Souza was expected to rematch

on August 2, 2014, at

UFC 176 ''UFC 176: Aldo vs. Mendes II'' was a planned mixed martial arts event that was scheduled to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 2, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background The event was expected to ...

. When the event was cancelled, the bout was rescheduled for September 5, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 50 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Souza won via submission in the third round, earning his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.

2015

Souza was expected to face

Yoel Romero Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight division ...

on February 28, 2015, at

UFC 184 ''UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano'' was a mixed martial arts event held on February 28, 2015, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort was expected to serve ...

. Souza pulled out of the fight on January 15, due to pneumonia. The bout was rescheduled for April 18, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 15 ''UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 15'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 18, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was the sixth event that the UFC has hosted in New ...

. Romero pulled out of the fight a week before the event, citing a ligament and meniscus tear in his knee. Souza instead rematched returning veteran

, submitting him with a first-round armbar. The bout with Romero was scheduled for a third time, eventually taking place on December 12, 2015, at

UFC 194 ''UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally scheduled to take place on Dece ...

. Souza lost the bout via split decision. 12 of 17 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Souza, and 3 of 17 scored it a draw.

2016

Souza faced

Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. Belfort previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavywe ...

on May 14, 2016, at

UFC 198 ''UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 14, 2016, at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. Background The event was initially announced as a ''Fight Night'' event with a middleweight bout between former UFC Ligh ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the first round and was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Souza was expected to face

in a rematch on November 27, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 101 ''UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 101'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 27, 2016, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Back ...

. However, the pairing was cancelled on November 1, 2016, after Rockhold was ruled out of the contest after sustaining an undisclosed injury. As a result, Souza was removed from the card as well.

2017

Souza faced Tim Boetsch on February 11, 2017, at

UFC 208 ''UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on February 11, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Background The event was originally scheduled to take pl ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. The win also earned Souza his third ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Souza fought Robert Whittaker on April 15, 2017, at

UFC on Fox 24 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 15, 2017, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Background The event was the f ...

. He lost by second-round TKO. During the event weekend, Souza signed a new, eight-fight deal with UFC.

2018

A rematch with

took place on January 27, 2018, in the main event at

UFC on Fox 27 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Souza won the fight via TKO in the first round. This win earned him the

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

bonus. Souza faced

Kelvin Gastelum Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum has competed for the UFC since he won '' The Ul ...

on May 12, 2018, at

UFC 224 ''UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 12, 2018, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The UFC was initially targeting a UFC Wom ...

. He lost the fight via split decision. The fight also received ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Souza was expected to face David Branch on November 3, 2018, at

UFC 230 ''UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on November 3, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship bo ...

. However, on October 19, 2018, It was reported that Souza replaced injured

to face

Chris Weidman Christopher James WeidmanMIXED MARTIAL ARTS S ...

in the event. He won the fight via knockout in the third round. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors.

2019

Souza was scheduled to face

on April 27, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN 3 ''UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 29, 2019, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Background Th ...

. However, it was reported in early April that Romero pulled out of the bout due to illness. Souza remained on the card and faced

Jack Hermansson Jack Berndhard Hermansson (born 10 June 1988) is a Swedish and Norwegian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former middleweight champion i ...

in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Souza moved up to the

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

division and faced

Jan Błachowicz Jan Maciej Błachowicz (; born 24 February 1983) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ ...

on November 16, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 164. He would lose the fight by split decision.

2020

Souza was scheduled to face Uriah Hall for a middleweight bout on April 18, 2020, at

UFC 249 ''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...

. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout and event were rescheduled for May 9, 2020. On May 8, Souza had to withdraw from the fight after testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Souza was expected to face

Marvin Vettori Marvin Vettori (born September 20, 1993) is an Italian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2012, Vettori is a former Venator FC Wel ...

on December 12, 2020, at

UFC 256 ''UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 12, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. However, the bout was scrapped when it was revealed Vettori would be serving as a late replacement to face

UFC on ESPN 19 ''UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 19'' and ''UFC Vegas 16'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 5, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enter ...

and Souza instead faced

Kevin Holland Kevin Alan Holland (born November 5, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2015, Holland has also competed for ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

2021

Souza faced

André Muniz André Muniz de Aguiar (born February 17, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of December 6, 2022, he is #11 in the UFC middleweight rankings. Backgroun ...

on May 15, 2021, at

UFC 262 ''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship b ...

. He lost the fight via technical submission in the first round after his arm snapped while trapped in an armbar. Souza underwent surgery to repair his right humerus. The bout was the last of his prevailing contract, making him a free agent after the organization did not re-sign Souza. On August 10, 2021, Souza announced that he was retiring from MMA, hinting at a return to BJJ.

Personal life

Souza and his wife, Larissa Carvalho, have three children. On October 8, 2020, Souza revealed the plans to start his own BJJ Academy in Orlando, Florida. In 2022, he expressed plans for a debut in boxing.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (Two times) **

(Four times) ** Submission of the Night (One time) *

** Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time) **One successful title defense *

**2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Runner-up *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

**2014 All-Violence Third Team

Grappling credentials

*ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship: **ADCC 2011 Superfight Runner-up (against Braulio Estima) **ADCC 2009 Superfight Champion (against Robert Drysdale) **ADCC 2005 77 – 87 kg: 1st Place **ADCC 2005 Openweight: 2nd Place **ADCC 2003 77 – 87 kg: 2nd Place **ADCC 2003 Brazilian Qualifiers 77 – 87 kg: 1st Place *CBJJ World Championships: **2005 Black Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place **2005 Black Belt Open Weight: 1st Place **2004 Black Belt Medium Heavy: 2nd Place **2004 Black Belt Open Weight: 1st Place **2003 Brown Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place **2003 Brown Belt Open Weight: 1st Place **2002 Brown Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place **2002 Brown Belt Open Weight: 2nd Place **2001 Purple Belt Middle: 1st Place **2001 Purple Belt Open Weight: 1st Place *CBJJ Pan American Championships: **2004 Black Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place **2004 Black Belt Open Weight: 1st Place *CBJJ European Championships: **2005 Black Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place **2005 Black Belt Open Weight: 2nd Place *CBJJ Brazilian Championships: **2004 Brown Belt Medium Heavy: 1st Place *BJJ World Cup: **2005 Black belt: 2nd place **2004 Black belt: 1st place

Mixed martial arts record

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Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 97,335. Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and founded ...

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Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–5 (1) , Robert Whittaker , TKO (head kick and punches) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:28 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–4 (1) , Tim Boetsch , Submission (kimura) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:41 ,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–4 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:38 ,

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–4 (1) ,

, Decision (split) ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–3 (1) ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:33 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Gegard Mousasi Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985), is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. As of December 13, 2022, he is #10 in the Bellator MMA ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Mousasi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:30 ,

Mashantucket, Connecticut Mashantucket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeast part of the town of Ledyard, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It consists of land held by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Foxwoods Resort Casino Foxwoods Resort ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–3 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jaraguá do Sul Jaraguá do Sul () is a city in the north of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. History The city was founded on July 25, 1876, by engineer and Brazilian Army colonel Emílio Carlos Jourdan and his family. The city was originally named jus ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 19–3 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 18–3 (1) ,

, Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 17–3 (1) ,

, Submission (kimura) , Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:10 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 (1) ,

, KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:41 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 (1) , Bristol Marunde , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:43 ,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–3 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 (1) ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 (1) , Tim Kennedy , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Houston , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 (1) ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Strikeforce: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:18 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 10–2 (1) , Jason Miller , NC (cut) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:33 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 ,

, KO (upkick) , Dream 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Zelg Galešić , Submission (armbar) , Dream 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Jason Miller , Decision (unanimous) , Dream 4: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Second Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Ian Murphy , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Dream 2: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 First Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Wendell Santos , TKO (submission to punches) , Hero's The Jungle , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , José de Ribamar , Submission (armbar) , Amazon Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:28 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Bill Vucick , TKO (submission to punches) , Gracie Fighting Championships: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:01 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Haim Gozali , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Jungle Fight Europe , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 ,

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

, Slovenia , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Alexey Prokofiev , Submission (triangle choke) , Fury Fighting Championship 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 ,

, Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Jungle Fight 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:10 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Victor Babkir , TKO (submission to punches) ,

Jungle Fight 2 The year 2004 is the second year in the history of Jungle Fight, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Brazil. In 2004 Jungle Fight held 2 events beginning with, ''Jungle Fight 2''. Events list Jungle Fight 2 Jungle Fight 2 was an event ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

Jorge Patino Jorge Luis Patino (born May 8, 1973) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1995, Patino has formerly competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, ...

, KO (punch) , Jungle Fight 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:13 ,

, Brazil ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Souza, Ronaldo Living people 1979 births Brazilian male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Strikeforce (mixed martial arts) champions Brazilian people of indigenous peoples descent Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian male judoka Brazilian submission wrestlers People from Vila Velha Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists Sportspeople from Espírito Santo