Tag: Forrest Griffin

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Details What Went Wrong in Jon Jones Fight


(Is there anyone who dislikes Shogun?)

In a blog posting he made today on ESPN.com, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua spoke for the first time about what he feels led to him losing his belt to Jon Jones at UFC 128 in March.

In spite of insinuations that his knee was bothering him and that he didn’t train properly for the bout as he seemed out of shape, Rua says it was simply a case of having a bad night and the fight not going his way.

“Really, in the Jones fight, what happened was I got hurt early on and I was having some trouble finding the right distance in the fight. I was also getting tired, and throwing leg kicks spends a lot of energy which is why I didn’t throw so many of them, and there was also the risk of being taken down; it was a combination of factors which stopped me from performing at my best,” he explained. “But whatever I did wrong in training for that fight, it doesn’t take Jones’s merits away and he was the better fighter that night. Some people think I was out of shape and are worried about my knees still being hurt after I had so much trouble with them. That isn’t the case — there’s nothing wrong with my knees, and they were 100 percent ready for that fight, as it was all cleared by the doctor. We made the biggest effort in doing my rehab as perfectly as possible and the UFC was kind enough to let me come back on a date that was proper to do it, according to the doctors. I have no injury excuses.”


(Is there anyone who dislikes Shogun?)

In a blog posting he made today on ESPN.com, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua spoke for the first time about what he feels led to him losing his belt to Jon Jones at UFC 128 in March.

In spite of insinuations that his knee was bothering him and that he didn’t train properly for the bout as he seemed out of shape, Rua says it was simply a case of having a bad night and the fight not going his way.

“Really, in the Jones fight, what happened was I got hurt early on and I was having some trouble finding the right distance in the fight. I was also getting tired, and throwing leg kicks spends a lot of energy which is why I didn’t throw so many of them, and there was also the risk of being taken down; it was a combination of factors which stopped me from performing at my best,” he explained. “But whatever I did wrong in training for that fight, it doesn’t take Jones’s merits away and he was the better fighter that night. Some people think I was out of shape and are worried about my knees still being hurt after I had so much trouble with them. That isn’t the case — there’s nothing wrong with my knees, and they were 100 percent ready for that fight, as it was all cleared by the doctor. We made the biggest effort in doing my rehab as perfectly as possible and the UFC was kind enough to let me come back on a date that was proper to do it, according to the doctors. I have no injury excuses.”

He ponts out that it’s rare to go into a fight without any lingering injuries, no matter how minor, but says that heading into his UFC 134 bout with Forrest Griffin on August 27, he feels like he is 100 percent.

“As a professional fighter, you always have some injuries, even if they are minor. It’s impossible, or very rare, to go through a camp without any pain. Right now I’m 100 percent, without any injuries and ready to go, but we always have to work around pain and work around injuries, and as a fighter you are always trying to make the best of it.”

Tito Ortiz, take note. That’s how fighters should carry themselves — win or lose. Much like it is the case with Wanderlei Silva, it’s tough not to cheer for Shogun.

UFC 134 Preview: Why You Should Feel Very Sorry for Forrest Griffin

It is a rematch four years in the making. At UFC 134, Forrest Griffin will be facing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a rematch of their 2007 bout, which Griffin won by rear-naked choke. This time, however, the outcome will be much different. Altho…


It is a rematch four years in the making.

At UFC 134, Forrest Griffin will be facing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a rematch of their 2007 bout, which Griffin won by rear-naked choke.

This time, however, the outcome will be much different.

Although Rua is coming off a devastating loss to Jon “Bones” Jones back in March, expect to see quite possibly the hungriest Shogun that has ever stepped inside the octagon. In addition to being motivated to even the score of what is arguably his most embarrassing loss, Rua will be fighting in his home country for the first time since 2003.

Perhaps most important to note is the fact that Rua has not had a post-fight knee surgery since his last fight.

Historically, Rua’s surgeries have been a reoccurring problem in his career. After injuring his knee after the first Griffin fight, Shogun returned with a sluggish performance over Mark Coleman at UFC 93, a match which he won by a third-round knockout.

A few months later, however, Shogun defeated former champion Chuck Liddell with a tremendous display of striking and movement.

He went on to fight the undefeated champion Lyoto Machida with a pair a strong performances. Although Rua controversially lost the first fight, he was granted an immediate rematch and knocked out Machida in the first round.

As luck would have it, Rua required yet another knee surgery after defeating Machida, which turned into another sluggish performance against Jon Jones.

Griffin is not a slouch, though. After submitting Shogun, he went on to defeat Rampage Jackson and win the title. His record since then has been a bit spotty, however. He was knocked out consecutively by Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva, and won a controversial split decision over Tito Ortiz. His last convincing win was over Rich Franklin back in UFC 126.

If we were to compare highlights between the two fighters, one would be hard pressed to find a Griffin highlight reel that could match Rua’s. As it stands, the very best Forrest Griffin is not as good as the very best Mauricio Rua.

At UFC 134, we will see the very best Shogun. Both fighters are hungry and want the belt back, but I’m feeling more than a bit sorry for Forrest Griffin.

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UFC: The Top 10 Venues to Never Host an Event

The UFC is the fastest-growing organization of the fastest-growing sport in the world, mixed martial arts.In the past two years, venues such as the American Airlines Center, the TD Garden (formerly the Boston Garden), Conseco Fieldhouse, the Palace of …

The UFC is the fastest-growing organization of the fastest-growing sport in the world, mixed martial arts.

In the past two years, venues such as the American Airlines Center, the TD Garden (formerly the Boston Garden), Conseco Fieldhouse, the Palace of Auburn Hills and Rogers Centre have all hosted their their UFC Events. 

With the UFC recently signing a network deal with Fox, it continues to grow, and is working to be sanctioned in all 50 states, as they look to expand into international markets.

This list will cover the 10 most famous venues who have never hosted a UFC event that would make for an awesome experience.

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UFC 134: Forrest Griffin Expects a "Reasonably Good Fight" Against Shogun Rua

Heading into his rematch against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134, Forrest Griffin doesn’t seem to draw a whole lot of interest to himself or the outcome of the bout, but that’s how he is. He isn’t trying to make a spectacle out of it, he is only going…

Heading into his rematch against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134, Forrest Griffin doesn’t seem to draw a whole lot of interest to himself or the outcome of the bout, but that’s how he is. He isn’t trying to make a spectacle out of it, he is only going to do his job, whether he wins or loses. 

And although he scored the upset over Rua at UFC 76, Griffin said a lot has changed since then and Rua is a different fighter. 

“Guys maybe at their core don’t change, but he looks a lot different,” Griffin said of Rua during a UFC 134 media call earlier this week.

 “That was his first fight in the UFC. That was his first fight in the cage. That was his first fight without kicks on the ground. So, it’s different.”

What makes this second encounter between Griffin and Rua different is the training methods both competitors have, or haven’t, adapted to their fighting styles. 

Since his title loss at UFC 128, Rua has reunited with former Chute Boxe alumni and readjusted his camp at Kings MMA. Meanwhile, Griffin has remained at Xtreme Couture.

It is evident both competitors have suffered injuries recently but after openly questioning himself and his training camp, maybe it’s Griffin’s commitment that has caused him to lose more often than he should. 

In a guest blog on Yahoo Sports, Griffin pondered switching training camps due to his lack of motivation and “doing everything wrong.” But at this point in his career, is it worth relocating when he is one win away from title contention?

While the grueling demand appears to be taking its toll on the 32-year-old Griffin, he still sees a reason in competing against Rua for a second time. 

“Yeah, I think it’s still a reasonably good fight for me,” he said.

“You look around at 205 (pounds)—find me the easy fight. There’s no easy fights in the top-10 guys. It doesn’t really matter.” 

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UFC 134 in-Depth Preview

In one week the UFC will return to Brazil for the first time in 13 years to host UFC 134. The main card will feature a pair of rematches between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, as well as Forrest Griffin versus Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The eve…

In one week the UFC will return to Brazil for the first time in 13 years to host UFC 134. 

The main card will feature a pair of rematches between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, as well as Forrest Griffin versus Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. 

The event will also mark the return of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who is prepared to face heavyweight prospect Brendan Schaub. 

UFC president Dana White and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan preview the main card with in-depth interviews, analysis and opinion. The event, dubbed “UFC Rio,” is expected to draw a lot of attraction and media coverage throughout Brazil prior to next weekend. 

UFC 134 is scheduled for August 27, live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. 

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UFC 134 Fight Card: Forrest Griffin on Rematch with Mauricio Rua

After back-to-back wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin has been lined up for a rematch with Mauricio Rua at UFC 134. Griffin and Rua last met at UFC 76 in Shogun’s UFC debut, which he would lose by submission with 15 seconds left in…

After back-to-back wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin has been lined up for a rematch with Mauricio Rua at UFC 134. Griffin and Rua last met at UFC 76 in Shogun’s UFC debut, which he would lose by submission with 15 seconds left in the fight.

During a recent media call that Bleacher Report MMA sat in on Griffin spoke about the upcoming rematch.

After two straight wins over former UFC champions, a victory over Rua would put Griffin closer to a chance at reclaiming his title. Despite the title implications of this fight and the common conception that Rua wasn’t at his best when the two last met, Griffin doesn’t feel any extra burden heading into this rematch.

“There’s no pressure to prove anything in the rematch,” Griffin said.

Griffin’s original fight with Rua produced one of the most important moments of his career, as his submission victory earned him a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson. However, in what has been an outstanding career, Griffin’s win over Rua was not his greatest achievement.

“It’s below winning TUF, which is the biggest thing I’ve ever done, and winning the belt, which is the second-biggest thing I’ve ever done. But it’s probably number three in my career,” Griffin said. “It allowed me to get my title shot. You can’t get any easy fights here at the top of the light heavyweight division.”

Since losing to Griffin in his UFC debut, Rua has been through a lot in his career. Four fights later, Rua became UFC Light Heavyweight Champion with a knockout against Lyoto Machida. In his last fight, Rua lost the light heavyweight title to Jon Jones. Four years after their first meeting, Griffin expects to face a different Rua.

“Guys maybe at their core don’t change, but he looks a lot different,” Griffin said. “That was his first fight in the UFC, his first fight in the cage and his first fight without kicks on the ground. It’s different.”

 

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.

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