Ronaldo Souza is a top contender in the UFC Middleweight Division and cannot figure out why Adesanya is fighting for a title.
”I don’t know why the UFC put him to fight for the title,” Souza said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (via Ryan Harkness of MMA Mania). “He hasn’t done enough. Because he never fought against top fighters, you know? Okay, he beat Derek Brunson, but I’m a jiu jitsu fighter and I beat Derek Brunson twice. And the second time, when I kicked the Derek Brunson’s head, my eyes were closed. I did better than him twice, and in the second time my eyes were closed. Why the UFC put this guy to cut my line? I don’t know. But he doesn’t deserve to fight for the title. He don’t deserve, 100 percent. Anderson is out of the rank and out of shape. He doesn’t deserve it.”
Adesanya has a 5-0-0 record under the UFC banner, which includes notable wins over Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares.
Souza would like an opportunity to fight for middleweight gold and may leverage retirement if a title shot doesn’t come his way.
”I wanna sit and wait for my shot, for my chance,” he said. “If UFC doesn’t give me the chance, I’m going to open a jiu-jitsu school for me. I don’t have a problem with retiring. Right now my body is good, my hormone is great, everything is good. I don’t have a problem with this. I’d be retiring to my jiu-jitsu on top. So I have to win this fight and wait on the UFC. For me it’s normal, it’s a business. If they don’t like me.... If they don’t like me or don’t give me the chance, I’m here to be a champ. Working to be a champ. If they don’t give me a title shot or put other people to cut in my line, I’ll be in retirement.”
UFC Fight Night Fort Lauderdale takes place on Saturday, April 27 from the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on ESPN.
