And I certainly don't need to see him sacrificed to a young, up-and-coming contender who is looking for a name to put on his resume. TRENDING > Darren Till: ‘Robert Whittaker hit me and I ate them for breakfast’ | UFC on ESPN 14 Post-Fight. Now, all that said, you could still make a case that Blachowicz deserves a title shot. If Walker were to beat Souza, he'd regain a lot of his lost momentum. “Only after I called her late at night in the hotel, after all the exams in the hospital, did she believe that I was okay.”, Once back home in Brazil, Rua estimates that he was back to feeling good physically after a month of rest, but says “to be honest it took more time to recover emotionally.”. A light heavyweight main event between Jan Blachowicz and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza failed to impress the crowd on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the result of the fight will nevertheless have an impact on the 205-pound weight class. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy, Former light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua spoke to the media after defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. I have messages on my Twitter and website from all over the world, supporting me and sending me a wonderful energy and positive vibrations.”. I have a deep respect for (CEO and Chairman) Lorenzo (Fertitta), a guy that always treats me with respect. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. In a fast-paced bout, Santos matched Rua on the feet until Rua took Santos to the ground and forced a stoppage due to strikes from mount. The Korean Zombie, Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Blachowicz escapes Souza with split-decision win, UFC Fight Night Brazil: Rua rips 'unfair' split draw; plus recaps, analysis. Right now I’m just thinking about my next fight against Vera. Initially, I didn’t see much sense in it from my perspective, but as a fighter I can understand what it means to him, so I respect that and didn’t want to deny him the opportunity.”, MORE FROM FIGHT ISLAND: Fight by Fight Preview | Australia's First Champion | Werdum's 10 Greatest Hits | Free Fight: Whittaker vs Jacare |. There is no "right" fight for Rua to go out on. He's 6-1 in his past seven fights, and that includes wins over the likes of Souza, Luke Rockhold, Jimi Manuwa and Jared Cannonier. Fight of the Night, and in my mind I want to offer a great show to the “In sports, the fans are everything,” he said. 21, 2020, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 01: (L-R) Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua of Brazil celebrates his victory over Rogerio Nogueira of Brazil in their light heavyweight bout during the UFC 190 event inside HSBC Arena on August 1, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nearly nine months later, Rua can be light-hearted about such matters, but at first it wasn’t that easy. That's better than a knockout loss, which we see all too often. Look, anyone can point to Rua's record of 4-1-1 since 2015 and say, "Why would a guy who is still winning fights hang them up?" Former light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Mauricio ' Rua said he would like a rematch against Craig because he thought he deserved the decision. Rua started his professional career at vale tudo events in Brazil, achieving three stoppages due to strikes, including a win over future Chute Boxe Academy teammate Evangelista Santos. Here's ESPN's take. If you want to debate that statement, feel free, but I will not be swayed. Mauricio Rua breaking news and and highlights for UFC 255 fight vs. Paul Craig, with official Sherdog mixed martial arts stats, photos, videos, and more for the Light Heavyweight fighter from Brazil. The worst incident occurred on the night of the fight, as an erroneous news report about his condition alarmed his wife and was only able to be remedied by a call from San Jose by the former UFC light heavyweight champ. Ten years later, the duo landed in Rio de Janeiro for the 2015 rematch, a Fight of the Night won once again by Rua. The two first fought to a decision at PRIDE Critical Countdown in 2005 with Rua winning. I want to win, make the best The rest is not in our control.”, Visit Abu Dhabi: http://www.abudhabievents.ae/. There is just no reason for Rua to fight again. if it was up to him, it would eventually happen. Enter Brandon Vera, who was brought in to face Rua this Saturday in the UFC on FOX main event at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. UFC Fight Night viewers guide: In long-awaited return, will Brian Ortega be better than ever? So given the positive mood, why not ask him to end this story by saying how the next 12 months will turn out for him, given a perfect world. Rua laughs, clearly confident and at peace after putting the grueling war with Henderson to rest. In the days and weeks following the bout, fans and pundits rightfully showered praise on the two combatants, but when that died down and talk centered around the next big fight, Henderson and Rua had to live with the aftermath of the most punishing and exhausting bout of their careers. “Inside the Octagon there are no heroes or friends; I must be focused on my game to do my best and win, always.”. “It takes a lot to step inside that cage and fight at this level. People often see the bright lights and the supposed glamour of things, but it’s a hard job, which I love, but it’s very different from how people imagine it and it takes a lot to do it.”. Michael Bisping is impressed with how quickly Charles Oliveira was able to take care of Jared "Flash" Gordon at UFC Fight Night in Brazil. “A wonderful win over Vera, I get the UFC belt back, and then coach the next TUF season in Brazil,” he said. https://sports.yahoo.com/mauricio-shogun-rua-excited-fight-160710117.html Mauricio Rua IG Post - Let's support those who support sport, sport has changed my life and can change yours. When he swept that tournament, “Shogun” vaulted to top of the international MMA world. Nearly five years later, more of the same is expected by the Brazilian stars. In general, the lightweight division remains relatively logjammed. The two fought for the third time in the UFC on ESPN 14 co-main event on 'Fight Island.' That's just reality. I respect that. And if Souza beats him, it would prove Jacare still has something in the tank and at least has the potential to shake some things up at 205. Anyone who has watched Rua at all over the course of his career knows he's past his prime. • Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Renan Barao “I think that will be a great fight,” he said of the UFC 151 main event. Thiago Silva was the first choice for “Shogun” at UFC 149, but when Silva was injured, Rua was left without a dance partner again. “But let’s take it step by step. Craig nearly knocked him out in the first round on Saturday. Yet as the months went by, the question was who would Rua’s comeback opponent be? At 38, there are more fights in the rearview mirror than in front of him, but there is the possibility that after Saturday night, should he beat Nogueira, he will be a winner in five of his last seven bouts with one draw. Sure, he had lost two of his previous three, but the Henderson fight was a razor-thin decision loss in a classic battle, and before his knockout victory over Forrest Griffin in their UFC 134 rematch, he lost his title to phenom Jon Jones. It was the greatest mixed martial arts fight of all-time. But nothing like Henderson-Rua. Who's next for Blachowicz following his narrow win over Souza? Look on the bright side first: Souza held his own on his feet with one of the better strikers of the light heavyweight division. “In some ways, yes, it it’s true that we likely know each other as fighters more than anyone,” laughs Rua. “I want to win, make the best Fight of the Night, and in my mind I want to offer a great show to the fans.”. It was a slow, five-round fight, not exactly a crowd-pleaser. Michael Bisping is impressed with how quickly Charles Oliveira was able to take care of Jared "Flash" Gordon at UFC Fight Night in Brazil. Hooker has won six of his past seven. Bisping: Oliveira impressed with win over Gordon (0:47). And it’s always been Rua’s style throughout a storied 18-year pro career that has seen him rise to the top not only in PRIDE, but in the UFC, where he won the light heavyweight title in 2010. Such as Hooker. “I think we both always look to finish the fight,” said Rua when asked why this pairing always works. “Because not only did we fight twice, but people forget we had a training camp for a fight in Canada that fell through very close to the fight date. When it was all over, the result really didn’t matter, only because neither fighter would lose an ounce of stature after such an effort, but for the record books, it was Henderson earning a close, but unanimous decision. • Vanessa Melo vs. Tracy Cortez, Result: Defeated Jacare Souza via split decision. “He was always asking for the fight in interviews, media appearances,” said Rua. January 20, 2019. Even with that being true, though, I don't think he should consider going back to 185 pounds. I have the biggest respect for anyone that does it, and to get respect from everybody for all the hard work I did means a lot. Copyright © 2001-2020 UFC All Rights Reserved. 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