Mixed martial arts got a lesson in 2010.
When then champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua was injured, rather than take another fight, top contender Rashad Evans opted to protect his brand and waited. It worked and Evans got a title shot, but then suffered an injury and had to pull out. His shot was taken by then-teammate Jon Jones, who won. Evans and Jones divorced and another title bout was signed. Then it was Jones who got injured.
Finally, Evans took a fight that was not for a title, against Tito Ortiz at UFC 133. Suga won, but 15 months had passed since he last fought. He said later he regretted waiting for a title shot, and most fighters have agreed since including Ronald ‘Jacare’ Souza.
On Saturday night Jacare tapped Tim Boetsch at UFC 208. Jacare is 7-1 in the UFC, with his sole loss a controversial split decision to Yoel Romero. Romero presumably has a title shot at current champion Michael Bisping when The Count recovers from knee surgery. Jacare could wait for his title shot, but at the post-fight press conference, he said it wasn’t in his nature.
I want to fight the champion, but if that’s going to take a while, I prefer to take another fight because I don’t want to sit around,” said Jacare, as transcribed by MMA Fighting. “I wasn’t born to sit around. So I’ll take another fight if it’s going to take too long to get a title shot.
If Bisping is given a second money fight when he returns, that would leave Romero free.
That’s a fight I want, said Jacare. I’ve never lost a rematch, and with Romero, it’s not going to be any different. I’ll prove I didn’t lose to him, I lost to the judges.
