Ronaldo Souza noticeably slowed down after a dominant opening round against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 224, and he thinks an unusual weight cut may have played a part.
“Jacare” suffered a split decision loss to Gastelum on Saturday night at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, losing the final two rounds on two judges’ scorecards. After controlling an impressive opening five minutes with his vaunted grappling arsenal, the 38-year-old Souza came out for the second round moving sluggishly as the fight settled into a more back-and-forth affair. Reflecting back on his performance, Souza admitted that his legs felt drained after the first round and said that ultimately hampered him for the rest of the fight.