For fighters looking to put a charge back into their careers, dropping down a weight class is a common route to travel, and it appears that particular path is one former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is at least considering.
Where th…
For fighters looking to put a charge back into their careers, dropping down a weight class is a common route to travel, and it appears that particular path is one former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is at least considering.
Where the former Pride juggernaut was once one of the most feared strikers in the game, a recent rough patch has served to take huge chunks out of the Brazilian’s mystique. The 31-year-old has been dealt setbacks in three of his last four showings, including his most recent action where he suffered back-to-back losses to Alexander Gustafsson and ChaelSonnen, respectively.
In his bouts with “The Mauler” and the “Gangster from West Linn,” Rua has looked like a shell of his once poetically violent former self, which has bolstered talk of the former 205-pound strap holder’s best days being behind him.
Nevertheless, the former Chute Boxe wrecking machine has never been one to fade in the face of adversity, and he will be looking to get things back on track when he faces James Te Huna at Fight Night 33 on Dec. 7 when the UFC rolls through Brisbane, Australia. His bout with the Aussie slugger will undoubtedly carry a tremendous sense of urgency, as a victory would serve to keep him relevant in the light heavyweight fold, but another loss would certainly push him out of elite-level status for the time being.
When a fighter is staring down the reality of a situation such as the one Rua is currently facing, decisions have to be made to navigate the road ahead. Where his heralded resume and accomplishments would make it hard to completely discount a resurgence at 205 pounds, the current landscape of the division would make that path a difficult one to traverse.
That said, one potential avenue that could yield a bit more promise exists in the middleweight fold. While it has been the better part of a decade since Rua has competed at 185 pounds, he was once a force to be reckoned with in that weight class. With fellow former title holder LyotoMachida recently making an impressive debut and igniting a title run after dropping down into the division, the idea of Rua cutting down to 185 pounds doesn’t seem so far fetched.
That very topic arose on Friday during the Q&A he hosted prior to the weigh-in for Fight Night 32. The perennial light heavyweight contender was asked about a potential drop down to middleweight, and Rua suggested it was an option he wouldn’t rule out.
“It might happen, but for now I have a fight scheduled,” Rua told the crowd in attendance. “I would have to do some medical exams to see if it’s possible. My normal weight is 228, 231 pounds. Maybe I can and maintain my performance. I would need to think about it, but that’s something that can happen.”
In addition to the circumstances surrounding his bout with Te Huna at Fight Night 33, Rua also has to consider the state of the division he currently competes in. Champion Jon Jones is tied up with Glover Teixeira, and their show down is expected to take place some time in early 2014.
Outside of the title tier at 205 pounds, there is a solid collection of fighters looking to earn championship opportunities with Alexander Gustafsson, Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans and ChaelSonnen being the most notable of the pack. A victory over Te Huna wouldn’t be enough to make a dent in that picture, which could potentially provide motivation for Rua to do his title hunting elsewhere.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. The quotes for this article were translated and provided by MMA Fighting.
Although Rogan is often known for his hyperbole, he might have been dead-on that night. Was “Bones” vs. “The Mauler” really the greatest 205-pound title fight in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? To determine the veracity of that statement, I went back and watched the best light heavyweight fights ever held inside the Octagon, and after countless hours of tape study, I feel as though I’ve come up with a very fair list.
Below I’ve listed what in my opinion are the top 10 light heavyweight fights in UFC history based on a mixed criteria of competitiveness, excitement level, hype, how the fight played out in comparison to its expectations, and how it ended. So without any further ado, let’s get started…
Machida had just knocked out Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and, in the fateful words of Joe Rogan, the “Machida Era” had commenced. However, “Shogun” had a thing or two to say about that as the former PRIDE star was coming off of two TKO wins over Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman, and he wanted to prove to everyone it was he, not Machida, who was the best light heavyweight in the world at the time.
For five rounds, Machida and “Shogun” went toe-to-toe in the Octagon and although Machida definitely had his moments in the match, it appeared to most observers that there would be a new light heavyweight champion crowned, as Rua landed a ton of brutal leg kicks to Machida that left the champ’s torso and thighs looking like a bruised peach.
But while “Shogun” arguably won every round of the fight, the judges somehow saw the fight in favor of Machida, with all three scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of “The Dragon” despite the volume of leg kicks thrown by Rua, leading judge Cecil People to idiotically declare that leg kicks don’t finish fights. UFC president Dana White saw things differently, however, and set up an immediate rematch at UFC 113 where Rua KO’d Machida into oblivion — a happy ending to an infamous screwjob.
Although Rogan is often known for his hyperbole, he might have been dead-on that night. Was “Bones” vs. “The Mauler” really the greatest 205-pound title fight in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? To determine the veracity of that statement, I went back and watched the best light heavyweight fights ever held inside the Octagon, and after countless hours of tape study, I feel as though I’ve come up with a very fair list.
Below I’ve listed what in my opinion are the top 10 light heavyweight fights in UFC history based on a mixed criteria of competitiveness, excitement level, hype, how the fight played out in comparison to its expectations, and how it ended. So without any further ado, let’s get started…
Machida had just knocked out Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and, in the fateful words of Joe Rogan, the “Machida Era” had commenced. However, “Shogun” had a thing or two to say about that as the former PRIDE star was coming off of two TKO wins over Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman, and he wanted to prove to everyone it was he, not Machida, who was the best light heavyweight in the world at the time.
For five rounds, Machida and “Shogun” went toe-to-toe in the Octagon and although Machida definitely had his moments in the match, it appeared to most observers that there would be a new light heavyweight champion crowned, as Rua landed a ton of brutal leg kicks to Machida that left the champ’s torso and thighs looking like a bruised peach.
But while “Shogun” arguably won every round of the fight, the judges somehow saw the fight in favor of Machida, with all three scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of “The Dragon” despite the volume of leg kicks thrown by Rua, leading judge Cecil People to idiotically declare that leg kicks don’t finish fights. UFC president Dana White saw things differently, however, and set up an immediate rematch at UFC 113 where Rua KO’d Machida into oblivion — a happy ending to an infamous screwjob.
The UFC promoted this fight as a title unification bout between Jackson, who had just won the UFC title from Chuck Liddell via first-round TKO at UFC 71, and Henderson, who was a two-division champ coming over from PRIDE. But even though it was a title fight, since it took place in England the UFC decided to put the tape-delayed event on SPIKE TV instead of pay-per-view, which turned out to be a great idea as 4.7 million viewers tuned in to watch what became one of the biggest MMA fights in TV history.
The match delivered as much action as it promised, with Henderson and “Rampage” going back-and-forth for five rounds with both men displaying their excellence in striking and wrestling. After it was all said and done, “Rampage” won a unanimous decision, a victory that gave him the only successful defense of his UFC light heavyweight title. As for Henderson, he finally earned another crack at the UFC light heavyweight title in 2012 — a full five years after the fight with Rampage — but after the fiasco of UFC 151 he never ended up getting his shot at the belt. And at 43 years old now and coming off of two losses, it’s doubtful that he will again.
Rampage’s next outing was his five-round battle at UFC 86 against Forrest Griffin, which followed a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter season seven — the same show that rocketed Griffin to stardom just three years earlier.
Griffin entered the fight as a big underdog, as most fans thought Jackson’s knockout power and wrestling skills would make it an easy second title defense for him. But the fight sure didn’t play out that way, as Griffin used leg kicks and submission attempts to make it competitive throughout and a true coin-flip on the judges’ cards.
At the end of five rounds, Griffin was announced the winner by unanimous decision and in the process became the second TUF winner to win a UFC title (after Matt Serra the previous year). However, the fight was not without controversy as “Rampage” and many media and fans felt he should have won the decision.
But he didn’t, and that night at UFC 86 was the last time Jackson would ever hold a UFC belt. As for Griffin, he fought another TUF winner, Rashad Evans, in his first title defense at UFC 92, and was knocked out. And, like Jackson, he never came close to sniffing the belt ever again.
The seventh fight on this list is one of three bouts to feature current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and it only came together as a result of the debacle that was UFC 151. Jones had been set to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151, but “Hendo” pulled out of the fight just a week earlier and Jones refused to face Chael Sonnen on short notice. After Lyoto Machida refused to fight Jones for a second time on short notice, the UFC then recruited middleweight Vitor Belfort to move back up to 205 and try to win back the UFC light heavyweight championship, a belt he held briefly in 2004 when he “stopped” Randy Couture with a cut at UFC 46.
Belfort wasn’t supposed to stand a chance in the matchup, but in the first round he caught Jones in a tight armbar and nearly shocked the world. However, Jones — even though he damaged his arm in the process — fought through the early adversity and then poured it on a game Belfort until the fourth round, when the champ was able to coax a stoppage with a keylock submission.
Although he did win, the fight wasn’t as one-sided as Jones’s previous conquests and it showed that the champ was vulnerable and not as unstoppable as many had previously thought, a point which was driven home in his most recent fight against Alexander Gustafsson. As for Belfort, he used the loss to Jones as fuel for a run at middleweight and he’s since knocked out Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold in scintillating fashion to emerge as one of the top contenders at 185 pounds.
6. Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC 140
(Photo via Tracy Lee/Yahoo!)
2011 saw Jon Jones choke out Ryan Bader, become light heavyweight champion with a TKO of Shogun Rua, and stop Quinton Jackson with a fourth-round rear-naked choke. For an encore performance, he would have his fourth fight of the year against Lyoto Machida. It turned out to be by far his most difficult match to date, as the elusive Machida was able to outstrike Jones in round one and even rock the young champion at one point, something which no one else had ever done to him inside the Octagon.
But Jones battled back hard and in the second round he began taking it to Machida before snatching “The Dragon’s” neck in a standing guillotine choke. As soon as the referee told Jones to break, he let the choke go and Machida dropped to the canvas, unconscious and with his eyes pointing into nowhere. Jones, meanwhile, just walked away.
Jones has since made four more title defenses to break the former record held by Tito Ortiz, proving without a doubt he is the greatest light heavyweight fighter in the history of the sport. As for Machida, he’s since dropped down to 185 pounds as he looks to become the third fighter in UFC history to win belts in two different weight classes after Randy Couture and BJ Penn previously accomplished the feat.
On the next page: A record-breaking rematch, Tito battles the Shamrocks, and the greatest 205-pound title war is revealed…
For those of you wondering how Mauricio Rua’s career would be affected by losses in four of his past six bouts, your answer has arrived. According to The Daily Telegraph, the former light heavyweight champion meets unranked power-puncher James Te Huna …
For those of you wondering how Mauricio Rua‘s career would be affected by losses in four of his past six bouts, your answer has arrived. According to The Daily Telegraph, the former light heavyweight champion meets unranked power-puncher James Te Huna when the UFC returns to Australia for Fight Night 33.
The drop in opponent caliber shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Despite an incredible 12-1 run under the PRIDE banner, Rua has been unable to build any real momentum inside the Octagon. Also, despite 11 Zuffa appearances, “Shogun” has yet to put together more than two consecutive victories.
Currently, Rua is on the first skid of his career after losses to Alexander Gustafsson and ChaelSonnen. Now sporting a UFC mark of 5-6, he has the distinction of being the only champion in light heavyweight history to have a sub-500 record in the organization.
The heavy-handed Te Huna quietly put together a four-fight winning streak that began in 2011, but became the victim of No. 1 contender Glover Teixeira back in May. His overall record in the UFC is 5-2, with the other loss coming to UFC 165 headliner Alexander Gustafsson.
This is an important fight for both men. Another loss for Rua would likely spell retirement. Meanwhile, a loss for Te Huna would drop him to 0-3 against ranked opponents and could permanently relegate him to gatekeeper status.
UFC Fight Night 33 takes place on Saturday, December 7 in Brisbane, Queensland. The card will be headlined by another New Zealand vs. Brazil matchup when Mark Hunt challenges Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the main event.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for news and fight card updates on UFC Fight Night 33.
(Despite his best efforts, Te Huna was never able to turn his “Chimney Sweep” dance move into the Gangnam Style-level viral hit he had originally hoped for. Photo via graciemag.com)
While this fight will likely turn into a slugfest rivaling Shogun’s scrap with Dan Henderson back at UFC 139 (let us not forget that Te Huna set a UFC record for significant strikes landed in a single round against Joey Beltran), it also reflects a somewhat significant step back in the career of Mauricio Rua. Not that Te Huna isn’t a great fighter — with 4 wins in his past 5 UFC contests, he surely is — but by pairing a legend like Rua with a relative unknown (by casual fans standards) like Te Huna, the UFC seems to be officially closing the book on Rua as a title contender.
With four losses in his past six contests and a career first two-fight skid coming at the hands of Alexander Gustafsson and Chael Sonnen, this is perhaps a revelation that we should have seen coming. However, for as long as we can remember, Rua has been one of the most intimidating forces in the sport, a perennial contender and a marquee fighter. To see him playing second fiddle to Antonio Silva (no offense) and fighting anyone less than a future title challenger or MMA megastar kind of erases, or at least blemishes, the mysticism that has existed around him for some time now. As did the fact that he was guillotined by Sonnen inside of a round in his last fight.
(Despite his best efforts, Te Huna was never able to turn his “Chimney Sweep” dance move into the Gangnam Style-level viral hit he had originally hoped for. Photo via graciemag.com)
While this fight will likely turn into a slugfest rivaling Shogun’s scrap with Dan Henderson back at UFC 139 (let us not forget that Te Huna set a UFC record for significant strikes landed in a single round against Joey Beltran), it also reflects a somewhat significant step back in the career of Mauricio Rua. Not that Te Huna isn’t a great fighter — with 4 wins in his past 5 UFC contests, he surely is — but by pairing a legend like Rua with a relative unknown (by casual fans standards) like Te Huna, the UFC seems to be officially closing the book on Rua as a title contender.
With four losses in his past six contests and a career first two-fight skid coming at the hands of Alexander Gustafsson and Chael Sonnen, this is perhaps a revelation that we should have seen coming. However, for as long as we can remember, Rua has been one of the most intimidating forces in the sport, a perennial contender and a marquee fighter. To see him playing second fiddle to Antonio Silva (no offense) and fighting anyone less than a future title challenger or MMA megastar kind of erases, or at least blemishes, the mysticism that has existed around him for some time now. As did the fact that he was guillotined by Sonnen inside of a round in his last fight.
Again, given his current record and Te Huna’s undeniable skill, the pairing makes sense from both a matchmaker’s and a fan’s standpoint. Yet for some reason, it’s kind of disheartening. Maybe us PRIDE fanboys are just deifying Shogun out of some misplaced sense of devotion. Maybe we’re just not ready to see a Mauricio Rua who doesn’t command (and receive) the prime spotlight with his every performance.
There I go, making a mountain out of a molehill again. Like I said, Shogun vs. Te Huna will more than likely turn into a crowd-pleasing affair that silences anyone questioning why this fight was put together in the first place (mainly me). At the same time, Mauricio “Daimyo” Rua doesn’t exactly have the same pop to it.
UFC Fight Night 26 served as the lead-in show for the first ever day of broadcasting for Fox Sports 1, and it featured some of the sport’s biggest stars, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Chael Sonnen and Alistair O…
UFC Fight Night 26 served as the lead-in show for the first ever day of broadcasting for Fox Sports 1, and it featured some of the sport’s biggest stars, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, ChaelSonnen and Alistair Overeem on the main card.
Sonnen defeated Rua in the first round of the main event when he locked on a guillotine submission to put the Brazilian away. It marked the first time Sonnen had picked up a win over a UFC champion in his career.
On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Athletic Commission via the Department of Public Safety released the salaries for the UFC Fight Night 26 card that took place in Boston Aug. 17.
The salary list was led by former K-1 Grand Prix and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Overeem, who took home $285,714.29 for his fight against Travis Browne. Overeem lost that night by knockout but still ended up with the biggest payday on the card.
Ironically enough, Rua was the other fighter who led the salaries list for the UFC Fight Night 26 card, pulling in $175,000 in his losing effort to Sonnen.
Here is the full list of fighter salaries from UFC Fight Night 26, including show and win bonuses (please note salary figures are the contracted amount given by the promotion to the athletic commission and do not disclose any discretionary or publicized bonuses such as Fight of the Night, etc).
UFC Fight Night 26 Salaries:
—Sonnen: $100,000 (no win bonus) def. Rua: $175,000
One of the most well known Bible verses is Matthew 6:10, which in the King James version reads: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Although scholars believe that the verse was/is a plea for all of mankind to obey the will of God, recent evidence indicates that it was clearly describing the will of Chael P. Sonnen. For ye, whenever the “American Gangster” speaketh, so the UFC shall maketh it a reality.
Which brings us to today’s announcement: The Oregonian will indeed be facing Evans at UFC 167, because shit happens when you were one half of the highest selling UFC PPV of all time. The event will mark the UFC’s 20th anniversary and will transpire at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 16th.
One of the most well known Bible verses is Matthew 6:10, which in the King James version reads: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Although scholars believe that the verse was/is a plea for all of mankind to obey the will of God, recent evidence indicates that it was clearly describing the will of Chael P. Sonnen. For ye, whenever the “American Gangster” speaketh, so the UFC shall maketh it a reality.
Which brings us to today’s announcement: The Oregonian will indeed be facing Evans at UFC 167, because shit happens when you were one half of the highest selling UFC PPV of all time. The event will mark the UFC’s 20th anniversary and will transpire at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 16th.
