Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will have to put in some work for a chance to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title.
UFC president Dana White recently told Fighters Only that the former champion was “probably” two wins away from another title shot.
After defeating Lyoto Machida for the title in May 2010, Shogun was unsuccessful in his first defense against light heavyweight phenom Jon Jones.
Lately, it seems the UFC has become more open to immediate rematches and quick turnarounds for former champions looking to get back into title contention, but White doesn’t see every situation the same way. Former champions aren’t guaranteed easy rematches.
“In boxing, you see a guy get an immediate rematch after losing a belt. But for us, we’ve got guys who work their way up and are next in line, and guys that have to get back in line to get another shot at the title,” said White.
Shogun’s journey of redemption begins at UFC 134, when he meets former foe Forrest Griffin. In his UFC debut at UFC 76, Shogun was submitted by Griffin in the third round with a late rear naked choke.
It was one of the biggest wins of Griffin’s career, and it helped propel him into becoming a world champion.
While Shogun is more focused on Griffin than a title shot, White is already looking towards the future, and upcoming performances could play a major role in the 205-pound pecking order.
“There is no doubt that Shogun is one of the best in the world,” White said. “He is probably two fights away from being considered [for a title bout] again. But then you’ve got to see how the fights go. There’s a lot of factors that come into play.”
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