Tag: Shogun Rua

Shogun Rua Believes His 2005 Was The Best Run In MMA History

Shogun Rua thinks his 2005 was the best run in MMA history. Rua was fighting in PRIDE back then and went 5-0 in the year including being a part of the PRIDE middleweight quarterfinal grand prix. He started the year out with a TKO win over Hiromitsu Kanehara, then TKO’d Rampage Jackson before beating Antonio…

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Shogun Rua thinks his 2005 was the best run in MMA history.

Rua was fighting in PRIDE back then and went 5-0 in the year including being a part of the PRIDE middleweight quarterfinal grand prix. He started the year out with a TKO win over Hiromitsu Kanehara, then TKO’d Rampage Jackson before beating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by decision. The Brazilian then fought twice on the same night and beat Alistair Overeem by TKO and KO’d Ricardo Arona to cap off the 5-0 year.

Shogun Rua was able to beat future world champions during that run and looking back on it, he says that run proved to him he can be the best in the world.

“I look at every fight that I had and that I want pretty much is very important because, in the end, every fight means the sequence of your career.  And also, you gotta keep winning. And every time you win, it means something. The title fights won’t happen without all the wins,” Rua said at media day.

“So I treasure all the fights that I won. And talking about Pride, it’s the same, but I think the fight that comes to my mind if I have to pick one is the title fight against Ricardo Arona because it was when I became a reality, when people stopped seeing me as a prospect but started to take me for real and consider me a reality. So that’s the fight that I think about the most if I had to pick one from Pride.”

Shogun Rua
(via Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

After 2005, Rua dropped his next fight but then had more success and eventually became the UFC light heavyweight champion. Although he never touched gold during that run, the Brazilian still believes that is the best year in MMA history.

“I believe it is. Of course,” Rua said.

Shogun Rua is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 274 as he rematches Ovince Saint Preux.

Do you think Shogun Rua’s 2005 was the best run in MMA history?

Continue Reading Shogun Rua Believes His 2005 Was The Best Run In MMA History at MMA News.

Shogun Rua Wants To Fight Two More Times Before Retiring

Shogun Rua's ReturnMMA legend Shogun Rua has come out and said that he wants two more fights in the UFC and then retire from the sport. Shogun’s last fight was in November of 2020 at UFC 255 against Paul Craig. He lost that fight via submission to strikes in the second round. Following that loss, UFC President […]

Shogun Rua's Return

MMA legend Shogun Rua has come out and said that he wants two more fights in the UFC and then retire from the sport.

Shogun’s last fight was in November of 2020 at UFC 255 against Paul Craig. He lost that fight via submission to strikes in the second round. Following that loss, UFC President Dana White suggested that the former light heavyweight champ should retire from MMA. However, Shogun does not seem ready to hang up the gloves just yet.

Speaking with AG Fight, Shogun confirmed plans to come back and fight at least a couple more times in the UFC.

“I must do two more fights and stop. That’s my goal. Do one or two more (fights). And the moment I stop, I will be happy with myself and thankful to God. I’m an accomplished guy with my career. My only fear is to stop and then regret that I stopped a little early. But if I do two more (fights), I won’t have this problem,” Shogun said.

At 39 years old, Shogun has seen it all in his MMA career. He first burst on to the scene over in Japan fighting for PRIDE FC. He would go on to win the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. After that, he signed with the UFC and started competing in their light heavyweight division. He would become UFC light heavyweight champion in 2010 after knocking out Lyoto Machida in the first round. Shogun would lose the belt in his next fight against Jon Jones and would go on to have a very up and down career since. In his last five fights in the UFC, Shogun has won two, lost two, and drew one.

Do you think Shogun Rua should retire now or after one or two more fights?

Dana White: Shogun Looked Like A Shell Of Himself, Should Retire

Dana White believes that UFC 255 should be the last time we see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua compete in MMA. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has certainly had a Hall of Fame career, dating back to his successful Pride run all the way through his 13 years in the UFC, wh…

Dana White believes that UFC 255 should be the last time we see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua compete in MMA. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has certainly had a Hall of Fame career, dating back to his successful Pride run all the way through his 13 years in the UFC, which includes one world championship. Rua’s name is […]

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Paul Craig Survives ‘Oil Check’ As Shogun Rua Taps To Strikes – UFC 255 Highlights

CraigFollowing their split draw last year in Brazil, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Paul ‘The Bearjew’ Craig holds bragging rights over mixed martial arts institute, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua via a second-round stoppage victory. The Scottish Hit Squad mainstay utilised his wrestling on cue in the opening-frame to force veteran former PRIDE and UFC titleholder, Rua into grappling […]

Craig

Following their split draw last year in Brazil, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Paul ‘The Bearjew’ Craig holds bragging rights over mixed martial arts institute, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua via a second-round stoppage victory.

The Scottish Hit Squad mainstay utilised his wrestling on cue in the opening-frame to force veteran former PRIDE and UFC titleholder, Rua into grappling exchanges, and with a flurry of strikes from the back as Craig postured, Rua tapped to strikes.

Threatening with an anaconda finish in the first-round, Craig pulled Rua into his own guard, with the fan-favorite Curitiba native scrambling to his feet to see the second frame.

Forced to battle against the fence once again in the second round, Rua was taken down once again, despite a brief “oil check” attempt from the Chute Boxe trainee. Assuming back-mount and posturing, Craig, a prominant grappler from his back usually began raining down with strikes as he forced the 38-year-old Brazilian icon to submit to strikes.

Below, catch the highlights from Craig’s rematch victory over the decorated, Rua.

Shogun Rua vs. Paul Craig 2 Booked For UFC 255

Mauricio RuaShogun Rua and Paul Craig are running it back. Rua and Craig first met last November in the co-main event of UFC Sao Paulo. Entering the fight, many believed the Brazilian would get his hand raised at home. Yet, that was not the case as Craig won the first round with one judge scoring it […]

Mauricio Rua

Shogun Rua and Paul Craig are running it back.

Rua and Craig first met last November in the co-main event of UFC Sao Paulo. Entering the fight, many believed the Brazilian would get his hand raised at home. Yet, that was not the case as Craig won the first round with one judge scoring it a 10-8. Rua then rallied to win the second and third round on two of the three judges scorecards. But, it was not enough as they fought to a split draw with the scorecards being 28-28, 29-28, 28-29.

After the event, many thought a rematch would be next but Rua would go on to fight and beat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Craig, meanwhile, went on to submit Gadzhimurad Antigulov on the same Fight Island card.

Now, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Rua and Craig will be running it back on November 21 at UFC 255.

“Shogun Rua vs. Paul Craig 2 is booked for UFC 255 on Nov. 21, sources say. No location yet. The light heavyweights fought to a split draw last November,” Helwani tweeted.

This is a fight many fans thought would happen again and it is a scrap both men have wanted.

“This is a good option. I want this fight, too,” Shogun Rua said after his win. “I want this fight, too, I think (we can do) this fight one more time.”

Shogun Rua is a legend of the sport and has said he only has a couple of fights left. If he goes out and beats Craig he would extend his unbeaten streak to four. He is also a very impressive 5-1-1 in his last seven. The Brazilian is ranked 14th and with a win could get a top-10 guy.

Paul Craig, meanwhile, is ranked 15th in the division and is 5-4-1 inside the Octagon but has notable wins over Magomed Ankalaev and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

UFC 255 is set to be headlined by two flyweight title fights as Deiveson Figueiredo takes on Cody Garbrandt and Valentina Shevchenko faces Jennifer Maia.

UFC on ESPN 14 Highlights: Mauricio Rua Edges Out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in Trilogy

Mauricio Rua vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira brought the fight in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 14. This was their third fight against each other as the former UFC light heavyweight champion had won the previous two bouts.  The two fighters met in …

Mauricio Rua vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira brought the fight in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 14. This was their third fight against each other as the former UFC light heavyweight champion had won the previous two bouts.  The two fighters met in a light heavyweight bout on Saturday night (July 25, 2020) at […]

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