There have been a slew of standout grapplers that have entered into the world of mixed martial arts and displayed their dominance on the ground, but ultimately failed to make a serious impact in the sport due to an inability to add another dimension to their offensive arsenal.
They’re money on the mat, but if they can’t get the fight to the ground, they’re instantly playing from behind and working without their greatest weapons. The same goes for strikers that are flashy and fun to watch when standing, but are incapable of stuffing a takedown or mustering any kind of offence from the ground.
As is always the case, the goal is to be as well rounded as possible inside the cage–to present opponents with a “pick your poison” decision where keeping the fight standing or taking things to the floor are equally bad options. Not everyone gets there and seldom do specialists in one area find a way to turn their weaknesses into strengths that run on par with their primary area of expertise.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has become an exception to the rule.
A decorated grappler with multiple Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship wins to his credit, Souza entered the sport as a feared submission artist with eight of his first 10 victories coming as a result of his prowess on the ground.
Over the last few years, however, the 34-year-old middleweight has morphed into one of the most complete and dangerous fighters in the division, adding knockout power and clean, crisp striking to his already lethal ground game as he’s worked his way up the 185-pound ranks in the UFC.
Poised to face Gegard Mousasi for the second time in his career, the man whose nickname is derived from a breed of alligators could be a win away from fighting for the middleweight title and just might be the biggest threat to Chris Weidman’s championship reign.
“Jacare” isn’t the first grappler to diligently work to improve his striking and show signs of improvement on the biggest stage in the sport, but he’s one of few competitors that has been able to turn his abilities on the feet into an area of concern for his opponents without sacrificing the suffocating grappling skills that got him to this level in the first place.
As much as Demian Maia put in time to develop his striking after emerging in the UFC as a pure submission specialist, the former title challenger was never a real threat on the feet. He could keep you honest with his jab and hunted with the left, but Maia never looked entirely comfortable throwing hands, leading opponents to happily engage him in a kickboxing match if it meant avoiding the ground with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace.
Foes don’t have that option with Souza, as he’s shown an ability to bring fights to an abrupt halt with his hands. Where they could previously sell out in their attempts to keep the fight standing, doing so now means running the risk of ending up in the same position Yushin Okami or Derek Brunson before him: staring up at the lights, having a conversation with the ringside physician after catching a clubbing from “Jacare.”
What makes Souza’s development all the more impressive is that he’s done it later in his career than most and there hasn’t been a backwards step along the way.
It’s one thing for a young prospect with a wrestling pedigree to develop their striking as they’re working their way up the ranks or to see an emerging talent make the leap to the championship level after a few years of facing steadily improving competition, as current bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw has done since hooking up with Duane Ludwig.
It’s something entirely different for a fighter to make those significant gains later in their career and while they’re in the midst of climbing their way up the Top 10. That’s exactly what Souza has done and he hasn’t had to sacrifice his grappling prowess in the process either.
His last six outings (all victories) illustrate the dual dangers Souza presents, as he’s earned first-round knockout wins over Okami and Brunson, while tapping Britstol Marunde, Ed Herman and Chris Camozzi with relative ease and quickness as well. The only man to go the distance with Souza during that period–hulking Frenchman Francis Carmont–spent the duration of the bout defending on the ground as “Jacare” worked for openings from back mount.
That comfort both standing and on the ground and the ability to finish the fight in either setting is what makes Souza particularly dangerous, both heading into this fight with Mousasi and long term within the division. Weidman is the only other fighters in the division who profiles as a threat both standing and on the ground–at least of the fighters currently in the championship picture.
To a lesser degree, Thales Leites has been able to duplicate Souza’s accomplishments by implementing a standup game with power that keeps opponents honest and gives him more options inside the Octagon. After earning a title shot during his first UFC stint, Leites has improved his striking dramatically since returning in August 2013, earning back-to-back knockouts to extend his winning streak to seven and climb into the Top 15 in the middleweight division.
While Souza will likely be looking to close the distance and turn his fight with Mousasi into a grappling match, he’s shown the power necessary to stand in the pocket with the mellow Dutch-Armenian contender.
That not only gives the Brazilian options as he comes forward, but puts Mousasi in a position where he has to be on the lookout for both an entry and an overhand right from “Jacare” and that should make for an exciting main event Friday night.