'Jacare' picks Chris Weidman to beat Vitor Belfort, knows he can defeat Weidman
LEDYARD, Conn. -- Ronaldo Souza is hardly out of the woods, which is coincidental since the resort casino here seems to spring from the forest out of nowhere.
Souza has a fight Friday night against one of the best middleweights in the world in Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC Fight Night on FOX Sports 1 here in Connecticut. But "Jacare" has thought somewhat about the future and has an idea of how it will play out.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace sees Chris Weidman successfully defending his 185-pound title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 181 on Dec. 6. After that, Souza envisions himself being named No. 1 contender, defeating Weidman and becoming champion.
"I actually do, but that's not something that crosses my mind right now," Souza said through an interpreter Wednesday here in Connecticut. "I have to focus on Mousasi. That is my goal. But yeah, I do see myself winning [the belt]."
Souza (20-3, 1 NC) comes into the fight with Mousasi ranked No. 4 among middleweight contenders, just below Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort. Silva is not in the title picture right now, recovering from a broken leg. He'll fight Nick Diaz, traditionally a welterweight, in January. Machida already lost to Weidman in July and Belfort meets the champion in December.
So, it only makes sense that "Jacare" would get the next opportunity if he beats Mousasi, who is ranked No. 7.
"I can't not focus on the fight that I have right now, but I consider myself on the top of the list of the title shot," Souza said.
As far as the Weidman-Belfort tilt, Souza has a prediction. He likes Belfort's knockout power, but believes Weidman, the man who defeated Silva twice last year, will emerge victorious.
"Vitor is the kind of opponent that can finish the fight just within a minute against anyone he fights," Souza said. "But I would give the victory to the champion. I think he will probably win in the third or fourth round."
Souza, who has won six in a row, isn't a kid anymore. He's 34 years old and this could be his last run toward a title. Mousasi (35-4-2), though, is no slouch. He has won seven of his last nine bouts with a loss to Machida and a draw against Keith Jardine mixed in. The Dutchman is coming off a dominant first-round submission win over Mark Munoz in June, one of his best performances.
Mousasi, 28, also owns a victory over Souza. The two fought on a DREAM card in Japan in 2008 and Mousasi walked away with a knockout victory in just 2:15 with an upkick. Obviously, a lot has changed since then.
"I got one wrong and he won, so points for him," Souza said. "But this is a totally different fight. I'm physically stronger than I was. I'm better on my jiu-jitsu and wrestling. So has Mousasi. He got better on the ground as well. This fight definitely is going to go different."
Complete viewing and schedule guide for UFC Fight Night on FOX Sports 1: Souza vs. Mousasi
We'll see if Souza's path plays out the way he hopes, starting Friday night.
