Ronaldo Souza and Gegard Mousasi will rematch to determine which fighter is ready to challenge for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC Fight Night 50, which takes place TONIGHT (Fri., Sept. 5, 2014) in Ledyard, Connecticut. In the many years since their first match, both men have evolved significantly. What adjustments can be made to lead either man to victory? Read our fight preview to find out!
Former Strikeforce champions and top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweights Ronaldo Souza and Gegard Mousasi are scheduled for a do-over later tonight (Sept. 5, 2014) at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Ledyard, Connecticut.
"Jacare" has looked nothing if not exceptional thus far inside the Octagon. The fearsome jiu-jitsu fighter has been tooling his opponents on the feet and blitzing them with submissions. In his last six bouts, Souza has finished five of his opponents, with all but one of those finishes coming in the very first round.
Frankly, it seems just a matter of time until the Brazilian is fighting for the strap.
On the other hand, Mousasi could be finding his place inside the UFC. Though his mixed martial arts (MMA) career is already quite lengthy, "The Armenian Assassin" is still proving himself inside the world's premier organization. However, a competitive bout against Lyoto Machida and absolute blowout of Mark Munoz have done wonders to show he's a top 10 fighter.
Now, he just needs to take the next step. Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each fighter.
Ronaldo Souza
Record: 20-3 (1)
Key Wins: Yushin Okami (UFC Fight Night 28), Tim Kennedy (Strikeforce: Houston), Francis Carmont (UFC Fight Night 38)
Key Losses: Gegard Mousasi (DREAM 6), Luke Rockhold (Strikeforce: Kharitonov vs Barnett)
Keys to Victory: With 14 of his 20 victories coming via submission, it's clear where Souza's true strength lies. Plus, his gold medals at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) and Gi Worlds also give a slight indication that "Jacare" might be at least competent on the mat.
That's not to say the Brazilian can't crack. Though he's earned just two knockout victories in his career, both have come within the last two years against solid opposition. It's also not uncommon for Souza to hurt his opponent en route to the tap out.
Despite Souza's grappling credentials, he lost the first match with Mousasi on the mat. "Dreamcatcher" is a legit grappler, and his upkicks are ruthless.
"Jacare" definitely needs to keep a close eye out while on the ground.
That said, grappling is without a doubt Souza's wheelhouse. Opting to stand and bang with a striker of Mousasi's skill level would be silly, even with the Blackhouse MMA-trained fighter's improved talent and power. Souza has a clear advantage and needs to ruthlessly abuse it.
So long as Souza sets up his shots, he shouldn't have much of an issue taking Mousasi down. From there, "Jacare" can employ his aggressive pressure passing game. Once "Jacare" is around Mousasi's guard, he can relax a bit and look for his submission opportunities.
Worst comes to worst, a decision victory based on top control would still likely earn a title shot.
Gegard Mousasi
Record: 33-4-2
Key Wins: Ronaldo Souza (DREAM 6), Mark Munoz (UFC Fight Night 41), Mark Hunt (DREAM 9)
Key Losses: Lyoto Machida (UFC Fight Night 36), Muhammed Lawal (Strikeforce: Nashville)
Keys to Victory: With 30 finishes to his credit, Mousasi is undoubtedly an aggressive fighter. Not only that, but he really pushes the pressure once his opponent is on queer street or fatigued.
In addition, Mousasi is rather durable. He's never been knocked out, and that's not to say he hasn't absorbed some heavy hits. "The Armenian Assassin" absorbed a pair of solid head kicks from Lyoto Machida, and his reaction was one of mild annoyance. He also hasn't been submitted since 2006.
All of that's a good thing in this situation, as aggressiveness and durability are key in this bout. It's very likely that the physically powerful Souza will control -- and possibly dominate -- the early portions of this bout. However, at 34 years old and carrying some thick muscle, Souza is not particularly well equipped to go the full 25 minutes.
Therefore, it's imperative that Mousasi makes Souza work for every inch and is never allowed to settle. That means Mousasi needs to be constantly defending the takedown, landing strikes during grappling exchanges, and looking to scramble at every opportunity.
The more Souza works, the faster he'll fatigue.
Once Mousasi has his opponent tired, he's in a prime position to force a finish or at least do major damage. "Jacare" will likely continue looking for takedowns, which will allow Mousasi to reverse and gain top position, like he did against Mark Munoz.
Against a slowed down Souza, that's nearly a death sentence, as Mousasi's ground and pound is accurate and powerful.
Bottom Line: With the recent influx of contenders in the middleweight division, it's important to both win and look impressive for both men. Otherwise. their potential shot at the strap could be stolen by someone like Luke Rockhold or Tim Kennedy, two top contenders that have upcoming fights.
"Jacare" is very likely fighting for a title shot. He was in the proverbial mix prior to this bout, and a win is Mousasi is not easy to come by. Plus, Souza's excellent jiu-jitsu could be an interesting foil to the current champion's dynamic wrestling.
On the other hand, a loss would hurt bad. Souza is getting up there in years, and losing to two younger contenders in Mousasi and Rockhold would be tough to recover from. It wouldn't be impossible for him to start another title run, but it certainly wouldn't be an ideal situation.
Mousasi may have the advantage of youth, but his career is much lengthier. Mousasi should be coming into his prime right now and has the fan friendly style/following that makes him fighting for a title marketable for the UFC, but he really needs to capitalize soon.
With a win, Mousasi is undoubtedly on the short list of contenders. Depending on how the Rockhold-Machida and Romero-Kennedy bouts unfold, he could even earn the next shot. At worst, he'd be one more win away from a chance at the belt.
At UFC Fight Night 50, two top-notch middleweights will collide in pursuit of Octagon gold. Who will emerge victorious?
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