Mauricio Rua talks about fighting in his hometown for the first time since 2003 and the differences between Rashad Evans and his new opponent at UFC 198, Corey Anderson.
Mauricio Rua hasn’t fought in his hometown of Curitiba ever since his second pro fight, back in 2003, so it’s not particularly surprising that he feels excited to be able to perform there one more time after all those years. However, it’s not all good news, since “Shogun” is aware of the pressure that will be on his shoulders to fight in front of his friends and family.
“I do think it’s a lot of pressure. It will be a big event, but all the pressure really only makes me more motivated. “Rua told Combate. “I will be in my hometown with my fans, so their support will really help me. This fight has a lot of buzz around it. I didn’t think it would have that much. I hope to get well soon and fight 100%. I thank the UFC for putting me on this card, and the fans for their affection to me.”
Rua has been nursing a knee injury which forced him to pull out of his match against Rashad Evans, but his doctor told him he would be fully healed in two more weeks, so now he will take on The Ultimate Fighter 21 champion, Corey Anderson. A challenge just as difficult, in Rua’s eyes.
“Everything changes. Rashad is a boxer and a wrestler, but I still got a tough fight. I know Corey is really strong and has a good gas tank. He’s a different opponent, his gameplan is different. But I know he’s a strategist, that’s how he likes to fight. It’s another fight, another training camp. I’ve seen him fight a couple of times, but I haven’t studied him yet. I’ll start doing that next week.”
Mauricio Rua is expected to face Corey Anderson at UFC 198, on May 14, in Curitiba, Brazil. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.