Jacare Souza asking UFC for title-eliminator bout in August return

Ronaldo Souza is asking for a title fight.

At the same time, "Jacare" understands he may not get one if Vitor Belfort is able to stop Chael Sonnen at the UFC 175 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place over Fourth of July Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada (we think). That's because "The Phenom" outranks him in the 185-pound pecking order (see it here).

No worries.

Souza would gladly settle for a title-eliminator bout against another top ranked opponent (see them here) when he makes his return from elbow surgery this August (popcorn pics here), according to his conversation with Combate, which opens up all sorts of interesting match ups.

"I'm waiting for the UFC to decide. I intend to fight in August. Everyone in front of me has a fight scheduled. I want to fight for the belt or someone who is well ranked."

But I wouldn't expect Joe Silva's phone to be ringing off the hook.

That's because "Jacare" has been tearing through the middleweight division with relative ease, racking up six straight wins with five finishes dating back to his decision loss to Luke Rockhold under the Strikeforce banner. As luck would have it, Rockhold is also closing in on a title shot and has no one to play with.

You approve of this rematch ... or do they need to go their separate ways?