Coach: Souza wants belt at 185 pounds, will do 'special fights' at 205
Ronaldo Souza is not closing the door on the light heavyweight division despite his upcoming return to middleweight, according to his head coach.
"'Jacare' will continue fighting in both divisions," Josuel Distak told MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "He will do special fights at 205 (pounds), and go after the belt at 185. ...
"That's our goal, to fight in both divisions. Wherever the exciting fights are, that's where we're going."
An upset loss to Jack Hermansson prompted the Brazilian contender to move up in weight late last year. In his 205-pound debut, Souza suffered a split-decision loss to Jan Blachowicz in a lackluster affair.
Souza is now scheduled to face Uriah Hall in a 185-pound bout at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn.
Souza, 40, is one of the most accomplished fighters who's never fought for a title in UFC history. He holds notable wins over ex-champ Chris Weidman, Gegard Mousasi, Vitor Belfort, and former welterweight titleholder Robbie Lawler.
Before his stint in the Octagon, "Jacare" held the Strikeforce championship from 2010-11.