Jacare Opting for Surgery Today on Pectoral Muscle Tendon

MMAjunkie reports that it was revealed by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s team that he will be undergoing surgery soon. Following Jacare’s knockout loss to Robert Whittaker this month, Jacare has decided to get a procedure done on a pectoral muscle tendon injury. As a result, Jacare is expected to be on the shelf for at least several months.

Jacare is getting a repair on a total rupture of his pectoral muscle tendon. The damage was revealed when he had an MRI rearlier this week. He’s set to get his surgery done today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Souza reportedly stated, “I opted for the surgery to cure this injury once and for all. I feel relieved. I’m recovering well, and now I’ll take one step at a time until I’m back to training and to the octagon. I’ll be back soon, stronger and hungrier for fights, for wins.”

Jacare’s surgeon, Dr. Rickson Moraes, added on the injury: “‘Jacare’ reported pain during his last fight, not to mention significant loss in strength to his upper limb. This kind of injury, a total rupture of the pectoral muscle tendon, usually results in loss of 75 percent of strength. This makes it harder to perform movements of the fight, such as pushing your opponent away, among others. The degree of loss in strength is very relevant when it comes to high-performance athletes, especially when we’re talking about athletes with ‘Jacare’s’ muscle power and physical prowess.”

He continued, “Everything wet well with the emergency procedure. We reinserted the tendon in the bone and reinforced the area with a graft. ‘Jacare’ will stay under observation, with his arm immobilized. We expect him to be allowed to do physical therapy soon.”

Following the loss, Jacare is currently ranked No. 5 in the official UFC middleweight rankings.