Recognized by many as one of the greatest Brazilian fighters in the history of the sport, Ronaldo Jacare announced his retirement after around 18 years in professional MMA. In an exclusive interview with SUPER FIGHTS channel on YouTube, the jiu-jitsu legend reveals that he is happy with his career and is not missing the 'routine' of training for a fight.
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“I’m not missing it, no. I'm doing really well and when I announced it I was sure what it would be. I have been fighting for many years and I was happy with what I lived in the UFC. Not so cool things happened, but everywhere you go, it happens. Life is not easy and it is not easy. But I’m quite happy with everything I’ve experienced inside the octagon,” said Jacaré.
During his time at middleweight (up to 83,9kg) in Ultimate, Ronaldo was at his peak between 2014 and 2017, but regretted not being able to compete for the organization's belt. He even says he can help other athletes with career management so that this doesn't happen again.
“We have to understand where we went wrong so that, up front, we can help others and try to direct some people. I think that, at some point in my career, I should have waited my turn (for the belt) and that didn't happen. So this is something I got wrong. And if I have someone I know who can help, I won’t leave it to them”, before completing.
“(It happened) at the time when I was number one in the rankings. I won the fight and had another one. I ended up having – and winning – eight fights in a row and, when I lose, it’s a consequence. People study me more. People were supposed to study me when I was going to fight for the belt. The longer you spend in the octagon, the more time people have the opportunity to study you”, concluded the former athlete.
Legacy
During his career in MMA, Ronaldo Jacare He has always been recognized in the 'middle' of mixed martial arts as an upstanding and well-liked athlete in his career. When asked how he wants to be remembered, he highlights that he values respect for his legacy.
“The legacy I would like to leave is respect. For example: my struggle with Chris Weidman, I could have hit him more, but I didn't. There are people who lack respect and put the health of others at risk. You are there to win and do your best. Destroy the opponent, but without ending his life. If you hit one too many times, you could seriously hurt someone, which could have consequences in the future. If there's one thing I'm proud of, it's the respect that people have for me. I'm impressed. Sometimes he is an opponent or a champion. Once I saw Jon Jones and he made an 'alligator mouth' at me. My biggest victory within MMA is having gained everyone’s respect and, for me, it is out of the ordinary”, he concluded.
Ronaldo Jacare He concluded his career with a record of 26 wins – 14 of which were submissions –, ten defeats and one fight without result. In his career, he was Strikeforce champion and was among the top middleweights (up to 83,9kg).
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