UFC on Fox 15 Results: 5 Fights for Ronaldo Souza

The UFC middleweight division continues to grow more interesting with each fight. Chris Weidman sits at the top, with a number of challengers pushing him to take the title.

Ronaldo Souza is ranked in the No. 1 position, but the UFC can supplant him with Luke Rockhold after his recent performance. With that in mind, here are some fight suggestions that will keep Jacare active and near the top of the weight class.

Tim Kennedy

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Tim Kennedy has a history with Ronaldo Souza.

Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza have history. These two men fought nearly five years ago under the Strikeforce banner. Souza walked out of the cage with the victory that evening, but their paths have remained close. Now that both men are in the UFC and near the top of the middleweight division, placing them against each other would help cement Jacare as the top contender if he comes out with the victory.

Thales Leites

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Jan 31, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Thales Leites (red gloves) walks to his corner after defeating Tim Boetsch (blue gloves) during their middleweight bout during UFC 183 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mixed martial arts fans may have forgotten Thales Leities. Saturday marked six years since he challenged Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title. Since that time he’s been cut and brought back to the promotion.

During those trials, he’s put together an 11-1 run that includes three straight stoppages in the Octagon. The UFC has him positioned in the No. 9 slot at this time. Souza vs. Leities in Brazil would help build Souza’s fanbase or reintroduce Leities as a major contender in the division.

Yoel Romero

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza have missed each other two times.

Yoel Romero has taken the middleweight division by storm. Currently ranked No. 6 in the group, the former Olympic wrestler is 5-0 within the Octagon.

Souza and Romero were scheduled to face each other twice, but sickness and injuries have kept them apart. First, Jacare fell to pneumonia before their UFC 184 fight. Then, Romero suffered a knee injury before their fight at UFC on Fox 15. The UFC should plan for these two men to face each other for a third time in hopes of creating a top contender.

Michael Bisping

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Apr 16, 2014; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Michael Bisping (red gloves) shakes hands with Tim Kennedy (blue gloves) after their middleweight bout at Colisee Pepsi. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Bisping has made his career in building fights. He hasn’t put together the greatest run in the cage lately, but he still has value on the UFC roster. If he can defeat C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186, the UFC could make a fight with Souza. Bisping would be a major underdog, but allowing Souza to defeat another high-profile and ranked competitor would help market him as the top contender in the division.

C.B. Dollaway

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Oct 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Tim Boetsch (red gloves) fights against C.B. Dollaway (blue gloves) in their middleweight bout during UFC 166 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

C.B. Dollaway is in a similar position as Michael Bisping is. While he is far from being a top contender in the weight class, he has shown the ability to promote fights effectively. If he can defeat Bisping next week, slating him against Ronaldo Souza would give Jacare the opportunity to take a key win while the UFC decides who will get the next shot at the title belt.