Alligator (photo) ran over Belfort in Curitiba. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
It was barely Ronaldo Jacare did not receive the long-awaited opportunity to fight for the UFC middleweight belt. The Brazilian was called up to replace Chris Weidman in the fight against the champion, Luke Rockhold, at the beginning of June, and even considered accepting the invitation. However, he ended up giving up on the idea after hearing some pretty straightforward advice from his doctor.
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Jacaré last fought at UFC 198, on May 14, in Curitiba (PR). On that occasion, the Brazilian dispatched Vitor belfort by technical knockout in the first round. However, Jacaré left the fight feeling a lot of pain in his knee, as he was trying to recover from an injury there a few weeks ago.
In an interview with the “MMA Fighting” website, Jacaré stated that he considered accepting the UFC's invitation, but ended up prioritizing his health. “I was going to say yes, but I had had the MRI and I couldn't ignore the results. Health comes first. As I am a Christian man, I prayed. The MRI result would determine my future. The doctor told me: 'You fought Belfort for five minutes and now you can't even walk. Imagine if you fought for 25 minutes against Rockhold. You’re going to lose your leg’. So, I decided not to fight for my health,” he commented.
Thus, Michael Bisping He ended up being chosen by the UFC to fight for the belt. Jacaré is confident that, even with his refusal, he is next in line. “I deserved it. They called me at the last minute and I couldn't accept it, but I'm next. There's nothing to talk about. My loss to [Yoel] Romero was a robbery and he ended up being caught [in the drug test]. Weidman doesn't return until November, and I've already defeated Vitor. So I’m next,” he stated.
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