For FloCombat via AG. Fight

Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza isn't experiencing the best phase of his MMA career right now. In addition to suffering a surprising knockout loss to Robert Whittaker in his last fight, the Brazilian contender is currently recovering from surgery on his chest muscle, an injury that had haunted him for some time.

However, not even those hardships are able to kill the will and the motivation of the former Strikeforce champion to turn things around and win the UFC middleweight title. And among the goals set by the grappling expert in his quest toward the belt is something that many Brazilian fighters refuse to do: improve his English.

Spending more time in the United States, Souza is trying to improve his fluency in the most spoken language of the western world. After all, even though his fights are decided inside the octagon, fluent English skills generally improve one's chances to get the big fights and, consequently, can result in better financial return.

"I have to learn to speak English, to go and put myself out there," Souza told AG. Fight for FloCombat. "I will learn to speak […], I can already communicate and speak a few things, but I'm going there [to the U.S.] for that very reason. It's all to help my career and to know [the language] as well. Everything that helps [my career] is good […]. I've always been a guy who looked for evolution in everything I did."

While "Jacare" still needs a bit of time until he can return to training and start preparing for his next fight, he already knows who he wants to face when he returns to the Octagon, presumably in late 2017: the opponent who will get him within reach of the belt.

"[By] the end of the year I must return to the Octagon," Souza said. "I don't have a name in mind, but I have a number, which is number one. The guy who's in my way to fight for the belt. Just as I fought with many [opponents who were] behind me in the rankings, I can take anyone. Just give me the opportunity. I never lost a rematch in my life. Me and Whittaker or me and [Luke] Rockhold? Who doesn't want to see that fight?"