Tag: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

UFC 128 Main Event Breakdown: Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs. Jon Jones

Filed under: UFCNEWARK, N.J. — On Friday, temperatures in the city rose above 70 degrees for the first time since last fall. Spring is breaking in the northeast. There is a feeling of freshness, out with the old, in with the new. If you believe in sym…

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NEWARK, N.J. — On Friday, temperatures in the city rose above 70 degrees for the first time since last fall. Spring is breaking in the northeast. There is a feeling of freshness, out with the old, in with the new. If you believe in symbolic value, it’s a good sign for Jon Jones. At 23 years old, the light-heavyweight title challenger could become the youngest champion in UFC history with a win on Saturday night.

Standing in his way is proud champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, not an old lion by any means at the age of just 29, yet considered a battle-hardened veteran in a division he’s been at the forefront of since the middle of last decade.

Rua is an underdog in the fight according to linesmakers and bettors, but before we crown Jones, we have to acknowledge that there are questions surrounding the wunderkind.

Dana White Says Rashad Evans Likely to Face Winner of Rua-Jones

Filed under: UFC, NewsIt appears as though Rashad Evans will get a second chance to fight for the UFC light-heavyweight championship after all. Weeks after a knee injury forced his withdrawal from a title bout with Mauricio “Shogun Rua — paving the wa…

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It appears as though Rashad Evans will get a second chance to fight for the UFC light-heavyweight championship after all. Weeks after a knee injury forced his withdrawal from a title bout with Mauricio “Shogun Rua — paving the way for teammate Jon Jones to compete for the belt — Evans is likely to be offered the next chance to fight for the title, UFC president Dana White said on Thursday’s night’s edition of ESPN’s MMA Live.

White stopped short of guaranteeing the title shot, saying that the man who emerged as champion would have to come out unscathed for him to be quickly matched up with Evans.

“If the guys are ready to roll again with no injuries, Rashad is definitely next in line,” White said.

UFC 128 Weigh-In Results

Filed under: UFC, NewsBarely sharing a glance, UFC light-heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and challenger Jon Jones practically ignored each other during their brief time together at the UFC 128 weigh-ins. Jones, for one, was anxious enough to…

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Barely sharing a glance, UFC light-heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and challenger Jon Jones practically ignored each other during their brief time together at the UFC 128 weigh-ins. Jones, for one, was anxious enough to leave the stage that he started to leave before being called back to do a brief interview with weigh-in host Joe Rogan.

Saturday night, they’ll have no choice but to engage in a fight that is expected to produce far more fireworks. Both champ and challenger came in at 205 pounds for the main event fight at Newark’s Prudential Center.

“I think certainly Jon Jones is a great fighter,” Rua said afterward. “He also has a lot of experience. But this belt is mine and it will keep being mine.”

Proud Champion Shogun Rua Says He’s the Underdog, but Who’s Buying?

Filed under: UFCNEWARK, N.J. — Rarely has a decorated champion taken a backseat to a challenger in a fight promotion the way Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has done during the lead-up to UFC 128.

With the emergence of Jon Jones, Rua, who won the belt last May…

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NEWARK, N.J. — Rarely has a decorated champion taken a backseat to a challenger in a fight promotion the way Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has done during the lead-up to UFC 128.

With the emergence of Jon Jones, Rua, who won the belt last May, has somehow become the secondary player in their light-heavyweight tile fight. The challenger was installed as the favorite by MMA oddsmakers, dominated the fight week headlines, and the UFC even produced a 30-minute TV special on him.

Rua, who has said little this week while portraying a stoic demeanor, has even gone so far as to repeatedly suggest that Jones deserves his billing as the favorite and that he himself is the underdog. Considering his resume as a former PRIDE Grand Prix champ, current UFC champ and feared knockout artist, who’s buying that?

UFC 128: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCOn Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, tha…

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On Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, that is; Jones just shook hands), I couldn’t help but think that if this were a movie, that’s when you’d know for sure that Jones is the protagonist, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua the glowering villain.

I mean, the guy likes dogs. Of course he’s the hero, right?

Only this is not a movie, and when the cage door closes it doesn’t matter if you hate kittens and children, as long as you can fight. Everything we know about Rua suggests that he’s going to be Jones’ toughest test ever, and his team is right to be a little peeved that he’s being overlooked. He’s a great fighter. The question is, will he still be the champ on Sunday morning?

Join me below as we take a look at the UFC 128 lineup and figure out what oddsmakers think is going to happen in Newark, New Jersey this weekend.

UFC 128: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCOn Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, tha…

Filed under:

On Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, that is; Jones just shook hands), I couldn’t help but think that if this were a movie, that’s when you’d know for sure that Jones is the protagonist, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua the glowering villain.

I mean, the guy likes dogs. Of course he’s the hero, right?

Only this is not a movie, and when the cage door closes it doesn’t matter if you hate kittens and children, as long as you can fight. Everything we know about Rua suggests that he’s going to be Jones’ toughest test ever, and his team is right to be a little peeved that he’s being overlooked. He’s a great fighter. The question is, will he still be the champ on Sunday morning?

Join me below as we take a look at the UFC 128 lineup and figure out what oddsmakers think is going to happen in Newark, New Jersey this weekend.