Tag: Mauricio Rua

UFC 139: Shogun Rua Looks to Prepare "Perfect Camp" for Dan Henderson

As Mauricio “Shogun” Rua prepares to challenge for the light heavyweight title again, he must face a formidable opponent in Dan Henderson at UFC 139. Rua, who is coming off a knockout victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, sees Henderson as a gr…

As Mauricio “Shogun” Rua prepares to challenge for the light heavyweight title again, he must face a formidable opponent in Dan Henderson at UFC 139. 

Rua, who is coming off a knockout victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, sees Henderson as a great opponent who matches up well against his style. While he admits the bout should have happened years ago, Rua told TATAME.com that he is just content to be fighting again. 

“I love fighting, and I’ll fight sooner if I can. I’m not like that, I don’t like to stay a long time without fighting, and it’d be good to gain some rhythm. I’ll go after what’s best for me,” Rua said.

Rua’s recurring knee problems have hindered his success in the past, as he recently lost the light heavyweight title to Jon Jones after being out of action for a year. It is often believed that when the Brazilian is healthy and fights more consistently, he is considered to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. 

He’ll get his chance to prove that against Henderson, who is coming into his third stint with the organization after earning knockout victories over Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko. Henderson is in the best shape of his career and arguably in his best form since PRIDE. 

Although Henderson might be 41 years old, Rua still recognizes the danger in facing the current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.

“He has heavy hands indeed, he can punch you in such a way that leads you to a knockout,” Rua told TATAME.com. “He’s been fighting for a long time, but he’s always looking for the knockout or working on the ground and pound. It’s been this way since Pride.”

And for PRIDE fans, the idea of seeing both competitors square off on November 19th should be a dream come true.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 139: Teenage Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Knocked out in Living Room

Everyone has long heard the stories of the famed Chute Boxe academy and their less than orthodox approach to fighting.From Wanderlei Silva taking on a fellow teammate in order to lay claim as the rightful owner of a dog, or the everyday brutal sparring…

Everyone has long heard the stories of the famed Chute Boxe academy and their less than orthodox approach to fighting.

From Wanderlei Silva taking on a fellow teammate in order to lay claim as the rightful owner of a dog, or the everyday brutal sparring sessions that have occurred in the academy, Chute Boxe has a long lineage of violence that has only been thought to be “legend”. 

Now, a slew of videos have recently been released which support that legend. One video, though, stands out above the rest.

Future PRIDE and UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took part in an unorthodox kickboxing match with a fellow teammate in a makeshift arena set inside of somebody’s living room.

Though the Brazilian would go on to build an incredible career, which includes impressive performances against Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida and most recently Forrest Griffin—whom have all succumbed to first-round strikes from Rua—this video details a much less “crafted” Shogun.

Circa 1998, Rua, just 17-years-old at the time, was knocked out with a headkick against his unidentified opponent, with the likes of PRIDE veterans Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons and brother Murilo “Ninja” Rua both in attendance. 

According to Marcelo Alonso of Sherdog.com, these same “super classes” were a regular occurrence and often regarded as a right of passage for most of the younger students. Fighters such as the esteemed “Axe Murderer” and Anderson Silva—both deriving from the Chute Boxe academy—have partook in such festivities as well. 

Imagine if a discouraged Shogun never decided to lace up the gloves again after such a public and embarrassing performance? The world may never know. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 139: Teenage Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Knocked out in Living Room

Everyone has long heard the stories of the famed Chute Boxe academy and their less than orthodox approach to fighting.From Wanderlei Silva taking on a fellow teammate in order to lay claim as the rightful owner of a dog, or the everyday brutal sparring…

Everyone has long heard the stories of the famed Chute Boxe academy and their less than orthodox approach to fighting.

From Wanderlei Silva taking on a fellow teammate in order to lay claim as the rightful owner of a dog, or the everyday brutal sparring sessions that have occurred in the academy, Chute Boxe has a long lineage of violence that has only been thought to be “legend”. 

Now, a slew of videos have recently been released which support that legend. One video, though, stands out above the rest.

Future PRIDE and UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua took part in an unorthodox kickboxing match with a fellow teammate in a makeshift arena set inside of somebody’s living room.

Though the Brazilian would go on to build an incredible career, which includes impressive performances against Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida and most recently Forrest Griffin—whom have all succumbed to first-round strikes from Rua—this video details a much less “crafted” Shogun.

Circa 1998, Rua, just 17-years-old at the time, was knocked out with a headkick against his unidentified opponent, with the likes of PRIDE veterans Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons and brother Murilo “Ninja” Rua both in attendance. 

According to Marcelo Alonso of Sherdog.com, these same “super classes” were a regular occurrence and often regarded as a right of passage for most of the younger students. Fighters such as the esteemed “Axe Murderer” and Anderson Silva—both deriving from the Chute Boxe academy—have partook in such festivities as well. 

Imagine if a discouraged Shogun never decided to lace up the gloves again after such a public and embarrassing performance? The world may never know. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Looks Forward to Inevitable Battle with "Rampage"

At UFC 135, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made UFC president Dana White proud. Not because the former titleholder made a galiant effort in his fourth-round submission loss to the defending champion in Jon Jones but because he still showed the fire to …

At UFC 135, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made UFC president Dana White proud. 

Not because the former titleholder made a galiant effort in his fourth-round submission loss to the defending champion in Jon Jones but because he still showed the fire to compete.

Jackson’s motivation has long been questioned by the fans and media alike, whom have looked at the PRIDE veteran’s burgeoning career as an actor as a sign of Jackson’s exit from the sport.

Not so fast. 

“I want to go to Japan in February and fight (Mauricio “Shogun” Rua),” said Jackson just moments after his loss to the aforementioned Jones.

“That’s what I want, rematch with Shogun in Japan. Put it together, Dana.”

The Brazilian will next be stepping inside the Octagon against another legend in the sport in Dan Henderson, who recently vacated his Strikeforce 205-pound title in order to make good on his third re-entrance inside the Octagon.

The two will meet in the main event of the evening for UFC 139, which takes place on November 19, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

While Shogun has pressing matters with Henderson to deal with in just a few months, the thought of fighting Jackson again has piqued his interest.

“Yes, I thought it was pretty cool,” said Rua, who made mention of hearing Jackson calling him out in the cage. 

 

“Rampage is actually a guy that I like a lot as a person, his personality. I think this fight is bound to happen sooner or later, down the road at some point. I don’t know when, but eventually it will happen. So, we’ll see.”

Both Jackson and Rua are two of the biggest PRIDE transplants that have since made successful careers in the UFC, where the two have gone on to win the light heavyweight title within the organization.

Both men originally met in Japan in April 2005, where the former Chute Boxe standout dominated the Memphis native with a blitzkrieg of strikes, eventually stopping Jackson inside of the first-round via TKO.

Should the bout materialize in the future, a February showdown will prove to be a huge draw in the organization’s impromptu return to the Land of the Rising Sun, which is currently rumored to go down at the famed Saitama Super Arena (which can hold a capacity crowd of 37,000) in Saitama, Japan

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 139: Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua, Early Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 139 will mark the return of former Pride champion and current Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson to the UFC.Welcoming him back to the Octagon will be former UFC champion Shogun Rua, who is coming off a dominant knockout win over Forrest Griffin at …

UFC 139 will mark the return of former Pride champion and current Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson to the UFC.

Welcoming him back to the Octagon will be former UFC champion Shogun Rua, who is coming off a dominant knockout win over Forrest Griffin at UFC 134.

This highly anticipated bout between former Pride stars will mark the first time these two legends will have faced each other and, more importantly, the matchup will be a battle for the top contender spot in the light-heavyweight division.

Here’s how these two fighters stack up against each other in this head-to-toe breakdown.  

Begin Slideshow

UFC 139 Fight Card: Dan Henderson Says "I’m Better Than Shogun in Every Aspect"

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson is living a little bit better these days.Though the Team Quest fighter has recorded many of his career victories in the middleweight class, Henderson is now enjoying himself in the 205-pound c…

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson is living a little bit better these days.

Though the Team Quest fighter has recorded many of his career victories in the middleweight class, Henderson is now enjoying himself in the 205-pound class.

During his tenure with the San Jose based promotion, Henderson went 3-1 with the organization and is currently riding a three-fight win streak, with his latest victory coming at the expense of former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko this past July, who suffered a first-round TKO loss to Hendo.

With his recent accolades, Henderson had an excellent bargaining chip as a free agent, however, has since re-signed with his former employers in the UFC.

Henderson will waste little time in returning to action as he meets the familiar Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on November 19. The two former PRIDE stalwarts will meet as the main event for UFC 139, which takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. 

The mixed martial arts icon isn’t disillusioned by any means. He knows he has a tough fight ahead of him, though he holds little back when it comes in comparison. Henderson, a former two-time Olympian, finds that he has a decided advantage over the Brazilian in nearly all facets of the game.

“Shogun’s a tough fighter, he’s been around a long time,” said Henderson, who spoke with ProMMANow.com.

“He’s been in there with some of the top guys and [has] done well. He’s well-rounded, throwing some nice knees and nice kicks, [and] he’s got some power in his punches.”

Perhaps to his advantage, the two light heavyweights will compete in a non-title, five-round affair. Conditioning has long been an issue that has plagued Rua, with battles against Forrest Griffin and Jon Jones in the past resulting in defeat due to his poor level of stamina. 

Henderson, though, has always been a well-conditioned athlete—that is as long as the Californian, who recently turned 41, does not not have to cut an obscene amount of weight. Henderson regularly walks around just a few pounds shy of the 205-pound limit. 

“I think I’m better in every aspect and should definitely do well in that fight. It’s a five-rounder, but I think I’ll be able to wear him out, so it could be an advantage to me.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com