Having previously trained with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Wanderlei Silva knows what he is capable of inside the Octagon.
Rua’s recent loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 139 brought up questions about the Brazilian’s consistency and longevity while competing in the light heavyweight division. “The Axe Murderer” said Rua was not himself against Henderson.
Silva, who is a former training partner and close friend of Rua’s, said the former Pride Grand Prix winner is not meeting expectations and needs to revitalize his training regimen in order to compete at the highest level.
“Shogun has a lot to revamp in his training. Everyone believes he can beat anyone at 100 percent, so he has to go into these fights at 100 percent,” Silva told Sherdog.com.
“I was sad about his loss,” he added.
Rua has faced criticism regarding his health since debuting in the UFC in 2007.
Rua has constantly battled through injuries, which have resulted in some poor performances and have prevented him from realizing his potential.
His injuries have ultimately limited his success in the UFC. That was evident in his title bout against Jon Jones, where Rua was coming off another knee injury and hadn’t fought since capturing the light heavyweight title nearly a year prior against Lyoto Machida at UFC 113.
Silva said if Rua is able to stay healthy and able to compete more consistently, then he will challenge for the title once again. Silva said he would favour Rua in potential rematch against the 24-year-old Jones.
“Shogun is the most talented guy I’ve ever seen,” he said. “He’s the guy to beat the champion, but he has to be 100 percent.”
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