Former Strikeforce middleweight champion and longtime UFC contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza on Tuesday announced his retirement, ending an 18-year career that spanned several major MMA promotions.
Souza, 41, opened the door on a return to jiu-jitsu, where he won several titles before turning his focus to MMA. But he told Combate his fighting days are over.
“I’ve already fought too much, I’ve retired too young from jiu-jitsu, and I think I’ve fought too much in MMA and I have no plans to go back to fighting,” he said. “It’s really over. I’m retiring from MMA, and I’m going back to the sport where I made history, the sport I love too much.