Jacare Souza’s done with MMA. Following his 2021 release from the UFC, he told the Trocação Franca podcast, he has no desire to return to the Octagon, or even to the jiu-jitsu competitions he once dominated. Instead, he’s turning his attention to the boxing ring.
“Honestly, I have no desire to fight MMA again. I’ve fought a lot, I’ve done a lot, and I have no interest fighting MMA again. Boxing, however, you train hard but don’t get injured, so it’s something you can do.
Jacare Souza Teases Paulo Costa Boxing Match
People will ask me how about jiu-jitsu then, but I’ve fought jiu-jitsu my entire life. I’m just a teacher now. But we want a different challenge. That’s it.”
Souza, although he was best known as a high-level practitioner of brutal, efficient jiu-jitsu, was no slouch on the feet. His heavy hands knocked out the likes of Chris Weidman and Derek Brunson, and Vitor Belfort. He would love the chance to box against Vitor Belfort, or, failing that, active UFC middleweight Paulo “Borrachinaha” Costa.
[People] might say, ‘Jacare is easy to beat, it’s boxing’ and whatnot. Doesn’t Vitor love easy money? Just got there to beat ‘Jacare’ and go home with some money, but I don’t think this fight will happen. All respect to Belfort, I’m not disrespecting him.
I think a match with ‘Borrachinha’ would also be cool because it’s a different generation. I’m not disrespecting ‘Borrachinha’, I just think it would be a good fight. Everybody would like it, different generations. ‘Borrachinha’ [has] heavy hands, let’s see it ‘Jacare’ can take it, that sort or thing.”
That would get a lot of buzz, no doubt about it. He’s still fighting in the UFC, he has a contract, I don’t know if he would leave to box. Let’s see. I think it would be cool. Ask him if he would do it.”
Paulo Costa’s luck in the UFC of late has been abysmal. Following a failed title challenge where he lost to reigning middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, he barely tried to make weight against Marvin Vettori, and lost that fight, too.
Costa, who walks around well over two hundred pounds, may never fight at the 185-pound middleweight limit again. A boxing match against a legend like Souza might well be on the cards for “Borrachinha”.
Do you want to see a boxing match between Costa and Souza, or have you had enough of the MMA/boxing crossover fights? Let us know in the comments.
