‘Shogun’ Rua’s manager suggests 195-pound catchweight fight with Michael Bisping

With a 6-8 record in the UFC, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua might change a few things for his next fight.

Finished for the third time in the past four bouts after his last appearance against Ovince Saint Preux in November, “Shogun” could be heading down to middleweight. However, before cutting to 185 pounds, his manager Eduardo Alonso suggests a 195-catchweight bout first.

“I would really like to see ‘Shogun’ in a catchweight bout next,” Alonso told PVT. “I suggested some names to the UFC, and I would like it to be at 195 pounds, like Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort did before dropping down. It would be a good way to test the weight cut, to see if he would perform better, how he would deal with the process, and if that would give him a new motivation.”

The UFC will begin taping TUF: Brazil 4 next week in Las Vegas, and “Shogun” will coach the season alongside with former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Being part of the reality show is another reason why Alonso wants “Shogun” in a catchweight bout before fighting at middleweight.

“‘Shogun’ cutting all the way down to 185 pounds without any tests would be complicated,” he said. “He will be at the next TUF: Brazil, and then he will start his camp, so it might me complicated (to fight at 185 pounds), and maybe he will be forced to fight at 205 one more time. But if I could choose, it would be a 195-pound catchweight.”

Longtime UFC veteran Michael Bisping, who started his UFC run as a light heavyweight before dropping down in weight in 2008, is set to take on C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186 in April, and Alonso is interested in a Rua vs. Bisping clash at 195 pounds.

“If I could choose, I’d love to see him fighting Michael Bisping,” Alonso said. “Bisping has a fight coming up in April, so it’s too soon to imagine what’s next, and it’s not even set with the UFC yet if he’s really going to fight at catchweight or not.”

The UFC has yet to announce if the TUF: Brazil 4 Finale event will take place in Brazil or not, and Rua’s manager suggests a soccer stadium event at the 44,000-seat Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo.

“I would love to see this event here in Sao Paulo, at Palmeiras’ soccer stadium,” Alonso said. “It’s a great opportunity to have Anderson Silva fighting on the same card of ‘Shogun’ in a soccer stadium here in Brazil. We don’t know how many years Anderson Silva has left in his career. But only the UFC knows what they are planning to do.”

With a 6-8 record in the UFC, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua might change a few things for his next fight.

Finished for the third time in the past four bouts after his last appearance against Ovince Saint Preux in November, “Shogun” could be heading down to middleweight. However, before cutting to 185 pounds, his manager Eduardo Alonso suggests a 195-catchweight bout first.

“I would really like to see ‘Shogun’ in a catchweight bout next,” Alonso told PVT. “I suggested some names to the UFC, and I would like it to be at 195 pounds, like Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort did before dropping down. It would be a good way to test the weight cut, to see if he would perform better, how he would deal with the process, and if that would give him a new motivation.”

The UFC will begin taping TUF: Brazil 4 next week in Las Vegas, and “Shogun” will coach the season alongside with former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Being part of the reality show is another reason why Alonso wants “Shogun” in a catchweight bout before fighting at middleweight.

“‘Shogun’ cutting all the way down to 185 pounds without any tests would be complicated,” he said. “He will be at the next TUF: Brazil, and then he will start his camp, so it might me complicated (to fight at 185 pounds), and maybe he will be forced to fight at 205 one more time. But if I could choose, it would be a 195-pound catchweight.”

Longtime UFC veteran Michael Bisping, who started his UFC run as a light heavyweight before dropping down in weight in 2008, is set to take on C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186 in April, and Alonso is interested in a Rua vs. Bisping clash at 195 pounds.

“If I could choose, I’d love to see him fighting Michael Bisping,” Alonso said. “Bisping has a fight coming up in April, so it’s too soon to imagine what’s next, and it’s not even set with the UFC yet if he’s really going to fight at catchweight or not.”

The UFC has yet to announce if the TUF: Brazil 4 Finale event will take place in Brazil or not, and Rua’s manager suggests a soccer stadium event at the 44,000-seat Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo.

“I would love to see this event here in Sao Paulo, at Palmeiras’ soccer stadium,” Alonso said. “It’s a great opportunity to have Anderson Silva fighting on the same card of ‘Shogun’ in a soccer stadium here in Brazil. We don’t know how many years Anderson Silva has left in his career. But only the UFC knows what they are planning to do.”