MMAFrenzy.com » Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

“Jacare” vs. Lindland, “King Mo” Announced for Strikeforce: Evolution on December 19 in San Jose

Kris Karkoski — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:39:45 +0000

A rumored December 19 Strikeforce event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California was made official at Thursday’s “Fedor vs. Rogers” press conference, with Strikeforce’s Scott Coker announcing that the Showtime-televised “Evolution” event will feature Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s Strikeforce debut against fellow middleweight newcomer Matt Lindland as well as the debut of light heavyweight Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.

“Jacare” (10-2) advanced to the finals of DREAM’s middleweight grand prix last year with wins over Ian Murphy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and Zelg Galesic, but lost to Gegard Mousasi in the finals. Souza, a decorated grappler who won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2004 and 2005, returned to action in May in a rematch with “Mayhem,” but the fight ended in a no contest.

Lindland (21-6) left the UFC in 2005 following back-to-back wins and has since gone 6-3, but has dropped two of his last three. After suffering a first-round submission to heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in 2007, Lindland bounced back with a unanimous decision over Fabio Nascimento last July at Affliction’s debut event. In his most-recent fight, Lindland suffered a brutal 37-second knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort in January.

“King Mo,” an All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State, has emerged as one of the sport’s top prospects since making his MMA debut last September, winning four-straight in Sengoku in Japan before making his US debut in August with a 25-second knockout of veteran Mark Kerr. An opponent has not yet been announced for Lawal’s Strikeforce debut.

For the latest Strikeforce: Evolution rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

Pictured: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Strikeforce Roundup: Lindland vs. “Jacare” In The Works, Lawal’s Proposed Debut, Beerbohm Inks a Deal, and more

Justin H — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:00:41 +0000

Strikeforce’s December 19th is beginning to shape up, fighters already rumored for the event include Robbie Lawler, and Scott Smith. Now joining them is a proposed middleweight match up between Matt Lindland and Ronald “Jacare” Souza, and the promotional debut of Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal against an as yet unknown opponent. [Fanhouse]
Jeff Curran’s Strikeforce debut on November 7 will not be against Sam Thao but will instead be against 17-13-1 fighter Dustin Neace, after the Illinois Athletic Commission did not approve the Curran vs. Tao fight. That is not the only lineup change for the CBS televised event, another undercard fight, which could be for number one contendership in the women’s division, has undergone a change. Roxanne Modafferi will replace Erin Toughill, who had to pull out of the contest due to an undisclosed medical condition against Marloes Coenen.
Undefeated lightweight prosect Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm has signed a multi-year deal with Strikeforce. The deal is a two year deal, that gives Strikeforce an option on a third year, and is non-exclusive.
Strikeforce Challengers 5: Woodley vs. Bears, which is set for November 20, has undergone some recent lineup changes. 4-1 Brian Davidson and 11-3 Lee Gibson have both been added to the card, though no opponent has been named for either man. Additionally, an anticipated female match up pitting Sarah Kaufman against Takayo Hashi has been pulled from the card though no reason has been given, and the fight is now likely to happen in January of 2010.

Pictured: Matt Lindland

Quick Hits: Horodecki Likely to Sign With WEC, Curran’s Strikeforce Debut Set for Nov. 7, Lawler Expects December Fight, and More

Justin H — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:23:58 +0000

Lightweight Chris Horodecki is expected to sign with the WEC very soon, according to his trainer Shawn Thompkins. If the deal goes through, the 22-year-old Canadian would enter the organization with a 13-1 record, having suffered his only loss to Ryan Schutlz in the IFL.
Jeff Curran’s next fight will not come under the WEC banner after four consecutive losses in the organization, but will instead be on the undercard of the November 7 “Fedor vs. Rogers” event after “The Big Frog” recently signed a two-fight non-exclusive deal with the promotion. Curran is also expected to compete in his own XFO promotion on December 5th against Tomohiko Hori.
Robbie Lawler is expected to return to action in December, though no opponent has been finalized. MMA Fanhouse reports that Lawler has been offered both Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Nick Diaz as possible opponents for the Strikeforce event, but that Lawler’s manager, Monte Cox, is opposed to the idea of Lawler fighting Souza.
Sean Salmon has been issued a one-year administrative suspension, and fined $2,500 by the Ohio Athletic Commission due to comments in a September column for MMAJunkie.com in which he hinted that he may have intentionally given up a submission in a June fight against Allan Weickert, which took place in Ohio.
Middleweight combatant Xavier Foupa-Pokam is will headline the next edition of Tachi Palace Fights on December 3rd against California based fighter Mike Moreno. He is also scheduled to compete this coming Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta-based Aggression MMA’s inaugural event, where he will look to rebound from his 0-2 stint in the UFC against Chester Post, a fighter with a record of 6-17-1. Other bouts on the Aggression MMA fight card include Jason Lambert vs. Matt Horwich, Travis Fulton vs. Jason Fairn, and Cyrille Diabate vs. Marcus Hicks among others.
Australian MMA Verteran James Te Huna is expected to make his UFC debut at UFC 110 in Australia after recently signing with the promotion.
Dutch heavyweight Gilbert Yvel, under scrutiny due to his past unsportsmanlike actions, was recently granted a one-fight license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, potentially opening the door for Yvel to fight in the UFC, though there have been no reports that he’s in talks with the organization.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem’s manager, Bas Boon, recently stated that Overeem is looking to defend that title in late February or early March, matching the time line for his return that Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently laid out for his return.
Former UFC fighters Josh Burkman and Brandon Melendez will meet in the main event of “Throwdown Showdown” on November 20 in Orem, Utah.
WEC featherweight Cole Province on Friday was issued a nine-month suspension and $4,000 fine by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after testing positive for anabolic steroids following his August unanimous decision win over Fredson Paixao at WEC 42, which has since been changed to a no contest.
UFC welterweight Frank Trigg recently underwent successful knee surgery, but his plans to return in early-2010 remain unaffected with Matt Serra considered a potential opponent.
Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira (18-6) is reportedly close to signing with the UFC after submitting Walter Mazurkievicz over the weekend at Jungle Fight 15.

ADCC 2009 Results: Injury Gives Estima Win Over Ribeiro in Absolute Finals; Werdum Wins Division

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:30:48 +0000

Bráulio Estima won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) 2009 absolute division championship on Sunday after fellow-Brazilian Xande Ribeiro suffered a fight-ending arm injury in the open-weight finals.

Estima will meet Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who defeated Robert Drysdale on Saturday, in a superfight at ADCC 2011.

In other action, Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (pictured) won the +99kg division, while notables Jeff Monson, Vinicius Magalhaes, and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos all earned third-place in their respective classes.

The complete results from Sunday action at ADCC 2009 in Barcelona, Spain (via Bloody Elbow) were:

Men’s Absolute Final

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) via arm injury

Men’s Absolute 3rd Place

Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via points (3-0) in OT

Men’s Absolute – Semifinals

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) via points (7-0)
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via kneebar

Men’s Absolute – Quarterfinals

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Chris Weidman (USA) via armbar
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Andre Galvao (Brazil) via points (3-0)
Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) def. David Avellan (USA) via rear-naked choke

Men’s Absolute Division – Opening Round

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) via armbar
Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Bruno Bastos (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
Vinicius Magalhaes (Brazil) def. Dean Lister (USA) via referee decision
Chris Weidman (USA) def. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) via points (3-0)
Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Ricco Rodriguez (USA) via kimura
Andre Galvao (Brazil) def. Tom De Blass (USA) via points (3-0)
Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) def. Jeff Monson (USA) via points (3-0) in OT
David Avellan (USA) def. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) via referee decision

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Final

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) via points (9-0)

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Final

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) via points (2-0)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Final

Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. André Galvão (Brazil) via inverted triangle

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Final

Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) via points (3-2)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Final

Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Final

Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Penny Thomas (USA) via kneebar

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Final

Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Sayaka Shioda (Japan) via points (3-0)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Jeff Monson (USA) def. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. via judges’ decision

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) via armbar

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

David Avellan (USA) def. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) via leglock

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) via points (10-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Ryan Hall (USA) def. Jeff Glover (USA) via points (3-2)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) def. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) via points

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) 3rd Place Match

Hillary Williams (USA) def. Laurence Cousin (France) via points (9-0)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Semifinals

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) via judges’ decision (2x overtime)
Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Jeff Monson (USA) via points

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Semifinals

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil)
Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) via points (5-0)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Semifinals

André Galvão (Brazil) def. David Avellan (USA) via points (2-0)
Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) via kneebar

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Semifinals

Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) via north-south choke
Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Gregor Gracie (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Semifinals

Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Rani Yahya (Brazil) via armlock
Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Leo Vieira (Brazil) via rear-naked choke

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Semifinals

Penny Thomas (USA) def. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) via points (-1 to -2)
Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) via points

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Semifinals

Sayaka Shioda (Japan) def. Hillary Williams (USA) via armbar
Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Laurence Cousin (France) via rear-naked choke

ADCC 2009 Day 1 Results: “Jacare” Tops Drysdale in Superfight; Cyborg, Werdum, and Monson Advance to Semis

Kris Karkoski — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:05:33 +0000

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Wrestling World Championship, the most-prestigious grappling tournament in the world, is taking place this weekend in Barcelona, Spain and a handful of MMA notables are in action at the event.

On Saturday, Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza defeated Robert Drysdale 2-0 on points in a featured grappling superfight, while notables Fabrico Werdum, Jeff Monson, Vinny Magalhaes, and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos all advanced to Sunday’s semifinals in their respective divisions.

Results from Saturday’s matchups as well as the schedule for the ADCC conclusion on Sunday are below (via Bloody Elbow):

Saturday, September 26 Results

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Opening Round

#1 – Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Rogent Lloret (Spain) via kimura
#2 – Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) def. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) via points
#3 – Romulo Barral (Brazil) def. Denis Roberts (Australia) via heel hook
#4 – Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Kouji Kanechika (Japan) via points (5-2)
#5 – Jeff Monson (USA) def. Karol Bedorf (Poland) via points
#6 – Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) def. Tom Erikson (USA) via heel hook
#7 – Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Tom De Blass (USA) via points
#8 – Asa Fuller (USA) def. Mike Matell (Canada) via armbar

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Opening Round

#9 – Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Ilir Latifi (Sweden) via points (2-0)
#10 – Radek Turek (Poland) def. Rafael Davies (USA) via points
#11 – Márcio Cruz (Brazil) def. Anthony Perosh (Australia) via points (3-0)
#12 – Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Rodrigo Cavaca (Brazil) via leglock
#13 – Dean Lister (USA) def. Andreas Olsen (Norway) via triangle choke
#14 – Glover Teixeira (Brazil) def. Vesa Vuori (Finland) via points (6-0)
#15 – Tomasz Szczerek (Poland) def. Ricco Rodriguez (USA) via poinits (4-0)
#16 – Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Yoshiyuki Nakahashi (Japan) via points

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Opening Round

#17 – André Galvão (Brazil) def. Kassim Annan (France) via points (11-0)
#18 – Chris Weidman (USA) def. Daniel Tabera. (Spain) via points (19-0)
#19 – Tarsis Humphreys (Brazil) def. Igor Praporshchikov (Australia) via ref decision
#20 – David Avellan (USA) def. Trond Saksenvik (Norway) via heel hook
#21 – Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. Yuji Arai (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#22 – James Brasco (USA) def. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) via ref decision
#23 – Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) def. Tom Lawlor (USA) via points (4-0)
#24 – Bruno Bastos (Brazil) def. Jorge Santiago (Brazil) via ref decision

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Opening Round

#25 – Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Rodney Ellis (Australia) via guillotine choke
#26 – Kron Gracie (Brazil) def. Enrico Cocco (USA) via rear-naked choke
#27 – Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) def. Mike Fowler (USA) via leglock
#28 – Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) def. Milton Vieira (Brazil)
#29 – Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Don Ortega (USA) via rear-naked choke
#30 – Ben Askren (USA) def. Toni Linden (Finland) via arm-triangle choke
#31 – Leonardo Santos (Brazil) def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Japan) via points (8-0)
#32 – Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Murilo Santana (Brazil) via points (3-0)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Opening Round

#33 – Rani Yahya (Brazil) def. Kouhei Yasumi (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#34 – Jeff Glover (USA) def. Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (Finland) via rear-naked choke
#35 – Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Hiroshi “Iron” Nakamura (Japan) via armbar
#36 – Joel Tudor (USA) def. Nicolas Renier (France) via triangle choke
#37 – Leo Vieira (Brazil) def. David Marinakis (Australia) via guillotine choke
#38 – Ryan Hall (USA) def. Jeff Curran (USA) via points (5-2)
#39 – Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Jayson Patino (USA) via triangle choke
#40 – Justin Rader (USA) def. Baret Yoshida (USA) via points (7-0)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#41 – Penny Thomas (USA) def. Shanti Abelha (Denmark) via points (3-0)
#42 – Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) def. Ida Hansson (Sweden) via points (10-0)
#43 – Hannette Staack (Brazil) def. Hitomi Hiraiwa (Japan) via armbar
#44 – Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) def. Lana Stephanac (USA) via ref decision

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#45 – Hillary Williams (USA) def. Megumi Fujii (Japan) via rear-naked choke
#46 – Sayaka Shioda (Japan) def. Bianca Andrade (Brazil) via points
#47 – Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) def. Ina Steffensen (Denmark) via guillotine choke
#48 – Ana Michelle Dantas (Brazil) def. Laurence Cousin (France)

#49 – 52 – Four “Special Matches” featuring non-bracketed Spanish athletes

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#53 – Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) def. Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) via points (3-0)
#54 – Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Romulo Barral (Brazil) via points (3-0)
#55 – Jeff Monson (USA) def. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) via points
#56 – Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) def. Asa Fuller (USA) via points

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#57 – Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) def. Radek Turek (Poland) via armbar
#58 – Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil) def. Márcio Cruz (Brazil) via flying armbar
#59 – Glover Teixeira (Brazil) def. Dean Lister (USA) via points
#60 – Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) def. Tomasz Szczerek (Poland) via points

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#61 – André Galvão (Brazil) def. Chris Weidman (USA) via points (4-0)
#62 – David Avellan (USA) def. Tarsis Humphreys (Brazil) via rear-naked choke
#63 – Bráulio Estima (Brazil) def. James Brasco (USA) via ref decision
#64 – Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) def. Bruno Bastos (Brazil) via points

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#65 – Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) def. Kron Gracie (Brazil) via mounted guillotine choke
#66 – Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan) def. Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) via points
#67 – Pablo Popovich (Brazil) def. Ben Askren (USA) via kneebar
#68 – Gregor Gracie (Brazil) def. Leonardo Santos (Brazil) via points

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

#69 – Rani Yahya (Brazil) def. Jeff Glover (USA) via points (7-0)
#70 – Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil) def. Joel Tudor (USA) via rear-naked choke
#71 – Leo Vieira (Brazil) def. Ryan Hall (USA) via guillotine choke
#72 – Rafael Mendes (Brazil) def. Justin Rader (USA) via brabo choke

Superfight

Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza def. Robert Drysdale via points (2-0)

Sunday, September 27 Lineup (Matches begin at 6AM ET / 3AM PT)

Men’s +99kg (+218 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) vs. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil)
Jeff Monson (USA) vs. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil)

Men’s -99kg (-218 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Xande Ribeiro (Brazil) vs. Vinícius Magalhães (Brazil)
Glover Teixeira (Brazil) vs. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA)

Men’s -88kg (-194 lbs.) Semi-Finals

André Galvão (Brazil) vs. David Avellan (USA)
Bráulio Estima (Brazil) vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA)

Men’s -77kg (-170 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) vs. Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (Japan)
Pablo Popovich (Brazil) vs. Gregor Gracie (Brazil)

Men’s -66kg (-145 lbs.) Quarter-Finals

Rani Yahya (Brazil) vs. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil)
Leo Vieira (Brazil) vs. Rafael Mendes (Brazil)

Women’s +60kg (+132 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Penny Thomas (USA) vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil)
Hannette Staack (Brazil) vs. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil)

Women’s -60kg (-132 lbs.) Semi-Finals

Hillary Williams (USA) vs. Sayaka Shioda (Japan)
Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil) vs. Ana Michelle Dantas (Brazil)

Pictured: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Strikeforce: Gurgel-Evangelista Headlines November 6 Challengers Event, Paul Buentello Released, and More

Kris Karkoski — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:20:40 +0000

A lightweight matchup between UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel and undefeated prospect Billy Evangelista will headline a November 6 “Strikeforce Challengers” event, which airs live on Showtime from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
Strikeforce has officially released heavyweight Paul Buentello, who is now expected to return to the UFC after having his contract acquired by the promotion in its August deal with Affliction.
Two-time U.S. Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier has been added to the card for Strikeforce’s September 25 Challengers event, with an opponent expected to be announced soon.
Strikeforce recently signed lightweight prospect Brian Travers to a five-fight deal, and has also signed TUF 8 cast member Antwain Britt to a multi-fight contract.
Robbie Lawler’s agent, Monte Cox, is pushing for Lawler to fight Matt Lindland in his next fight, not Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza as previously expected.
A previously-reported interim middleweight title fight between Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller that was expected to take place in October on the same card as Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers has yet to be finalized, with Shields saying that Miller won’t sign on for the fight and that it could take place in December instead.

Pictured: Jorge Gurgel

Robbie Lawler vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza Planned for Fall Strikeforce Event

Kris Karkoski — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:30:11 +0000

Submission expert Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is likely to make his Strikeforce debut against slugger Robbie Lawler on the undercard of a fall Strikeforce event headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the middleweight matchup to Fanhouse at Emelianenko’s open workout on Wednesday in New York City.

“Jacare” (10-2) extended his winning streak to 10-straight by winning his first three fights in DREAM over Ian Murphy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and Zelg Galesic, but would next suffer a first-round knockout to Gegard Mousasi in the finals of DREAM’s middleweight grand prix last September. He returned to action in May, fighting to a no contest in a rematch with Miller after being cut open by an illegal kick in the bout.

A UFC veteran who trains out of Matt Hughes’ HIT Squad, Lawler (18-5) had won five-straight over the likes of Scott Smith, Frank Trigg, Joey Villasenor, and Murilo “Ninja” Rua, before being submitted by Jake Shields in the opening round of their June catchweight fight.

In addition to Emelianenko-Rogers and Lawler-Souza, an interim middleweight championship bout between Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller is also expected for the Showtime-televised card.

Pictured: Robbie Lawler

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza Signs With Strikeforce, Will Reportedly Debut on October 25 in Fresno

Kris Karkoski — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:34:52 +0000

Middleweight submission expert Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce and will fulfill his first fight on the contract “in the fall”, the promotion announced on Wednesday.

According to GracieMag, “Jacare”, who was expected to fight Jason “Mayhem” Miller at DREAM 11 on October 6, will instead make his Strikeforce debut at an October 25 event in Fresno, California, which could also host the Strikeforce debut of top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

Souza’s first bout could be an interim middleweight title matchup against former EliteXC champion Jake Shields, who was added to the card earlier this week.

“Jacare” (10-2), who had been rumored to be joining the UFC in late-2007 only to instead sign with DREAM, won his first three fights with the promotion over Ian Murphy, “Mayhem”, and Zelg Galesic to extend his win streak to 10-straight. Souza would next suffer a first-round knockout to Gegard Mousasi in the finals of DREAM’s middleweight grand prix last September, then fought to a no contest in a rematch with Miller after being cut open by an illegal kick in the May bout.

Strikeforce will hold a media conference call on Thursday during which it is expected to announce details on the October event as well as its recently-announced “alliance” with DREAM.

Check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section for the latest Strikeforce rumors.

DREAM 11 Announced for October 6; To Include Super Hulk Semis and Featherweight GP Finals

Kris Karkoski — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:06:38 +0000

DREAM today announced thats its DREAM 11 event, previously expected to take place in late-September, will instead take place on October 6 at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan.

The HDNet-televised event will feature the semifinals and finals of the promotion’s featherweight grand prix, as well as the semifinals of the “Super Hulk” open weight tournament.

Matchups have not yet been announced for the featherweight tourney, which includes Bibiano Fernandes, Joe Warren, Hiroyuki Takaya, and Hideo Tokoro, or the Super Hulk semis, which features Gegard Mousasi, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Ikuhisa Minowa, and Hong Man Choi.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza are expected to meet for a third time at the event to crown a DREAM middleweight champion.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest DREAM news and DREAM rumors.

[Pictured: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou]

“Mayhem” vs. “Jacare” 3 Likely For September at DREAM 11

Justin H — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:03:29 +0000

It seems that Jason “Mayhem” Miller will square off against Ronald “Jacare” Souza yet again for the DREAM middleweight belt. Their latest matchup is rumored to take place at DREAM 11 in September, according to a post on Miller’s Twitter page.

At DREAM 9 on May 26 Miller fought Souza for the vacant DREAM middleweight title. However, that bout ended prematurely and was declared a no contest after Miller delivered an accidental kick to the downed Souza, causing a fight ending cut. As a result, no champion was crowned that night.

In their first meeting Souza defeated Miller via unanimous decision in the quarterfinals of the DREAM middleweight Grand Prix at DREAM 4. Souza then went on to win his semi final match up over Zelg Galesic before getting knocked out by Gegard Mousasi in the finals.

Though it is still unclear if the fight has officially been signed or is still in negotiations, Miller says that he “Can’t wait!” for the fight. When it becomes known that the fight is signed, MMAFenzy will pass that along to you.

For more information regarding the upcoming DREAM 11 card, visit the DREAM 11 Rumors page in our MMARumors section.

[Pictured: Jason Miller]