Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza isn’t the kind of guy that fighters are rushing to face under normal circumstances and there are even fewer competitors who are champing at the bit to step into the cage with the tenured middleweight contender on short notice.
Paired off against Yoel Romero in a rematch of their tightly contested, heavily debated bout from UFC 194, Souza found himself in need of a new dance partner just three weeks out from the event, as Romero was forced off the card due to a bout with pneumonia. While rising star Paulo Costa was rumored as a replacement, that matchup didn’t come together.