MMA News
Souza to Strikeforce
Posted by Deshalen Barber on the 5 August 2009 | View Comments
Just days after signing Fedor Emelianenko, the world's greatest heavyweight and former top free agent, Strikeforce and company do it again. This time they have signed RONALDO "JACARE" SOUZA to an already gifted weight class.
Fighters currently on Strikeforce middleweight roster: Cung Le, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock and Jake Shields. After the recent contractual agreement to attain Fedor, Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce, continues on his merry way of plucking the best fighters the world has to offer this side of the UFC, by signing Souza.
"I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to fight in STRIKEFORCE amongst many of the world's best middleweight fighters," said the 29-year-old Souza who is a native of Brazil and started training in jiu-jitsu at the age of 17.
Since then he has claimed two open weight jiu-jitsu world championships and a draw against Randy Couture in a grappling contest in 2006. Soon after the match, Couture invited the Brazilian to train at his Xtreme Couture facility in Las Vegas, NV.
After the start of his training with Xtreme Couture, Jacare quickly compiled a ten fight-winning streak. One of the victims being "MTV's: Bully Beatdown" host, Jason "Mayhem" Miller during a middleweight tournament at "Dream 9" in Japan.
Souza believes "STRIKEFORCE has an extremely deep roster of top middleweight fighters. I am looking forward to the challenge and to taking my career to the next level."
The young Brazilian is considered to be the most effective jiu-jitsu practitioner in MMA today, with nine of his ten victories coming by way of submission. Because of this, he will have the luxury of sharpening other areas of his game while challenging the worlds best. By any chance he is placed in danger, there's safety in knowing he will have the jiu-jitsu ace card up his sleeve to bail him out.
Souza, who brings a 10-2 record with him, is expected to fulfill the first fight on his contract in the fall.
With this signing, Strikeforce is now in place to make the case; they have the deepest and most talented overall middleweight division of all MMA Organizations.
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