‘Jacare’s’ Next Fight Reportedly Set For UFC on FOX 27

Two top-ranked middleweights will reportedly square off in the main event of January 27’s UFC on FOX 27.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, No. 7-ranked Derek Brunson told him he had signed a bout agreement to fight No. 5-ranked Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the headlining bout of the event from Charlotte, N.C.’s Spectrum Center.

The bout has not been officially announced by the UFC, but Brunson told ESPN he had signed his agreement and expected Souza to do the same very soon:

“I signed my contract and I’m pretty sure Jacare signed his contract. I expect the UFC to announce it soon.”

Both fighters had been rumored to be facing off again, but Souza wanted to fight at February 3’s UFC Fight Night event in Belem, Brazil, while Brunson wanted to compete closer to his home of Wilmington, North Carolina. Brunson believed Souza was playing games, and didn’t really want the match-up until he considered what a big stoppage of a former champion could earn him:

“I think Jacare was playing games trying to get it to Brazil. It’s funny, because he wasn’t really on my radar. I was aiming for somebody who would get me a title shot. But after thinking about it, a first-round finish over Jacare, who’s been considered as one of the best fighters on the planet, I think that gets me a shot.”

Brunson heads into the bout on a two-fight win streak, his most recent a dominant first-round knockout over former light heavyweight champion in the main event of October 28’s UFC Sao Paulo. His last loss came by controversial decision to longtime former middleweight champion Anderon Silva at February’s UFC 208.

He’ll look to score his biggest-ever win against the feared Jacare in a rematch of their first fight in Strikeforce, which Souza won with a thunderous left hook. The 37-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend had been on the cusp of a UFC title shot, but a TKO loss to current interim champion Robert Whittaker in his last bout this April derailed those plans for the time being.

Brunson discussed his prior loss to Souza, believing he was a young fighter who got overaggressive against a former champion and has learned over the years:

“I was a young, talented prospect back then,. Strikeforce let me take a fight on short notice outside the promotion and I got robbed on a split decision against Kendall Grove. I easily won that fight. So, I went from 9-0 to getting robbed and suffering my first loss.

“I get back to Strikeforce and they put me right with Jacare. I was still pissed about the loss and said, ‘I’m about to go torch this former champion.’ I went out super aggressive and he caught me. The punch he threw, he ducked his head and closed his eyes. I came running in and he caught me on the chin.

“I had to deal with that for years. I was pissed off about it for a long time.”

UFC President Dana White also recently revealed the fight was set during his lengthy scrum with reporters yesterday but did not give an exact date for the match-up.