Maurício Rua

Maurício Rua
Rua in 2006
BornMaurício Milani Rua[1]
(1981-11-25) 25 November 1981 (age 42)
Curitiba, Brazil
NicknameShogun
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
DivisionLight heavyweight
Heavyweight
Reach76 in (193 cm)[2]
Fighting out ofCuritiba, Brazil
TeamChute Boxe Academy (until 2008)
Universidade Da Luta (2008–present)
Kings MMA (2014–present)[3]
RankBlack prajied in Muay Thai[4]
Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4] under Antônio "Nino" Schembri[5]
Years active2002–2023 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total42
Wins27
By knockout21
By submission1
By decision5
Losses14
By knockout7
By submission3
By decision4
Draws1
Other information
Notable relativesMurilo Rua (brother)
Websitemauriciorua.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Maurício Milani Rua (Portuguese pronunciation: [mawˈɾisiu ˈʁuɐ]; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2002, Rua is also the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.

Background

[edit]

Rua was born on 25 November 1981 and raised in Curitiba, Brazil and is of Italian, and Portuguese descent. Rua's father is a businessman and his mother is a former track athlete and, as of 2005, a marathon runner. He has an older brother, Murilo (nicknamed Ninja, born 1980), and a younger brother, Marcos (nicknamed Shaolin).[6] Both are mixed martial artists training at Universidade da luta, though Marcos does not compete at a professional level. The Rua brothers occasionally take 10-kilometre runs with their mother.[6] Rua began training in Muay Thai at the age of 15 and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 17.[7] Rua followed his older brother in training at the Chute Boxe Academy, and was successful in BJJ championships at the blue and purple belt levels. In addition to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, by 2007 he was also training wrestling and boxing.[8][9]

Mixed martial arts career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

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. 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. Shogun then entered the International Fighting Championships's (IFC) Global Domination Tournament. Rua won his first bout against Erik Wanderlei due to punches, and in the second bout got the first submission loss of his career against Renato Sobral with a guillotine in the third round.

PRIDE Fighting Championship

[edit]

PRIDE Debut, Bushido and PRIDE 29

[edit]

Following his victory in the IFC tournament, Shogun made his way to Japan to enter the PRIDE organization. He made his PRIDE debut at the inaugural PRIDE Bushido 1, a side promotion for lighter fighters. In his three Bushido appearances, Rua defeated Akira Shoji, Akihiro Gono, and Yasuhito Namekawa, all by strikes in the first round.

Rua graduated to his debut in a main PRIDE event at PRIDE 29, where he faced former professional wrestler Hiromitsu Kanehara, a Japanese fighter known for his toughness. Rua defeated Kanehara by stomps early in the first round.

PRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix

[edit]

He entered the PRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament as an underdog. For the first round of the tournament at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005, he faced Quinton Jackson, whom he had challenged after Jackson won a controversial split decision over Murilo Rua at PRIDE 29. Rua dominated the favored fighter from beginning to end, breaking Jackson's ribs with knee strikes and ending the fight in dramatic fashion with soccer kicks to the face in the first round. Jackson later said that Shogun was the best fighter he had ever fought.[10] In the second round at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005, Rua faced Antônio Rogério Nogueira, a member of Chute Boxe's rival academy Brazilian Top Team. Rua defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision. On 28 August 2005, Rua participated in PRIDE Final Conflict 2005, in which the last two bouts of the tournament were held on the same night. Rua defeated Alistair Overeem by TKO in the first round, while Ricardo Arona defeated Rua's teammate Wanderlei Silva by decision. Rua and Arona faced each other in the final bout of the tournament. At 2:54 in the first round, Rua knocked Arona out with punches to win the bout and become the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion. He received a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Nino Schembri afterwards, a process that only took him four years from when he got his purple belt. This wrapped up a year in which he won Fighter of the Year honors from Sherdog.com.

Incident with Hammer House

[edit]

In the next fight after his Grand Prix win, Shogun faced Heavyweight wrestling star and PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Champion Mark Coleman at PRIDE 31. As Coleman executed a takedown, Rua landed awkwardly and dislocated his elbow, forcing a stoppage due to injury. Coleman was pulled off of Shogun by the referee, and was confronted immediately by members of Rua's corner. This led to an in-ring brawl between Hammer House and Chute Boxe.

End of PRIDE career

[edit]

At PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute he defeated French kickboxer Cyrille Diabate by tapout due to stomps. At Pride 32 he submitted former UFC Heavyweight Champion Kevin Randleman with a kneebar at 2:35 of the first round, the only submission victory of his career. In his final PRIDE appearance at Pride 33, he fought a rematch with Alistair Overeem and knocked the Dutch fighter out at 3:37 of the first round.

By the end of his run at PRIDE, Rua was ranked as the top Light heavyweight in the world by Nokaut,[11] Sherdog,[12] and MMAWeekly.com.[13]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

[edit]

After the UFC bought out PRIDE, Shogun signed on with the UFC and made his debut in the organization at UFC 76. Facing The Ultimate Fighter 1 Winner Forrest Griffin, Rua was favoured to win.[14] However, Rua had difficulty with Griffin and became exhausted early on and was dominated for the remainder of the fight. He succumbed to a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of the third round. He then had surgery for a pre-existing knee injury.[15][16]

Rua left Chute Boxe in January 2008 and opened his own camp, Universidade da luta, with his brother Murilo in Curitiba.[17]

In the months following his surgery Rua completely reruptured damaged ligaments during training and was forced to undergo a second knee surgery. This forced him to drop out of UFC 85. He was granted a rematch with Mark Coleman at UFC 93 in Dublin. Shogun defeated Coleman by TKO with 24 seconds left in the third round. The fight earned co-Fight of the Night honors and a $40,000 bonus. In spite of the award, Rua drew criticism from fans for his lackluster performance against Coleman, who was 44 years old at the time and had not competed in over two years.[18][19]

Rua's next fight took place at UFC 97 in Montreal against former longtime UFC Light heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell. Rua won by KO due to strikes. With this victory, Rua returned to the top-ten rankings for the Light heavyweight division, and the UFC decided to put him next in line for a title shot.

Title bouts with Machida

[edit]

At UFC 104 Shogun lost by unanimous decision to UFC Light heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. All three judges scored the bout 48–47 in Machida's favor. Journalists and UFC President Dana White had scored the fight in Rua's favor.

Due to the controversy of the UFC 104 decision, a rematch was immediately announced and took place at UFC 113 on 8 May 2010 in Montreal. Rua won via knockout at 3:35 of round 1, after dropping Machida with a right and following up with punches on the ground. He was awarded the UFC Light heavyweight Championship, becoming just the second fighter to have won PRIDE and UFC titles. Following the victory, Rua underwent surgery in June to repair a knee injured during the bout against Machida.

UFC Light heavyweight Champion

[edit]

Rua's first title defense was scheduled on 19 March 2011 against Rashad Evans, who had won by unanimous decision over Quinton Jackson at UFC 114 on 29 May 2010. However, following Jon Jones's victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, it was announced that Evans had blown his knee out in training and would not be able to face Rua. Jones was told during his post-fight interview that the UFC wanted him to replace Evans against Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted and the fight was programmed for UFC 128.[20] Quinton Jackson was also offered the title fight but declined, as six weeks' notice did not provide enough time to make weight.[21]

In the title fight, Jones began the fight with a flying knee to the head. Rua later said the blow greatly affected his performance for the rest of the bout.[22] Jones kept the pressure on Rua throughout the rest of the fight, utilizing unorthodox striking and ground and pound. Rua lost the fight via TKO in Round 3.

Post title fights

[edit]

After the loss to Jones, Rua's rematch with Forrest Griffin took place on 27 August 2011 at UFC 134. In a match that looked like the complete opposite of their original bout, Shogun demonstrated good head movement and footwork, as well as good accuracy and striking power, to win the bout via KO early in the first round. Rua had now avenged three of his six losses.[23]

Rua faced Dan Henderson on 19 November 2011 at UFC 139, losing via unanimous decision. Henderson was in control for most of the first three rounds, dropping Rua in the third. In the fourth round, the momentum started to shift towards Rua, who was able to mount Henderson. Despite the decision loss, Rua was awarded a Fight of the Night bonus award.[24] This fight is widely viewed as the "Fight of the Year" for 2011. This fight was also inducted into the 2018 UFC Hall of Fame.[25]

Rua was expected to face Thiago Silva on 21 July 2012, at UFC 149.[26] However, Silva was forced out of the bout with an injury.[27]

Rua faced Brandon Vera on 4 August 2012, at UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera.[28] In a back-and-forth affair, Shogun managed to drop Vera several times and won by TKO due to punches in the fourth round.[29]

Rua faced Alexander Gustafsson on 8 December 2012, at UFC on Fox 5.[30] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[31]

Rua was expected to face Antônio Rogério Nogueira in a rematch at UFC 161. However, Nogueira pulled out of the bout in the days leading up to the event citing a back injury. Perennial multi-divisional contender Chael Sonnen was briefly linked as a replacement for Nogueira[32] but eventually Rua was pulled from the event altogether.[33]

On 17 August 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26, Rua faced Chael Sonnen in the main event.[34] He lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.[35]

Rua next faced James Te Huna on 7 December 2013, at UFC Fight Night 33.[36] He won the fight via first round knockout.[37] The win also earned Rua his third Knockout of the Night bonus award.[38]

A rematch with Dan Henderson took place on 23 March 2014 at UFC Fight Night 38. After winning the first two rounds and scoring a knockdown in each, he was defeated via strikes in the third round.[39] Despite the TKO loss, Rua was given his third Fight of the Night bonus award, his second for a bout against Henderson.[40] Rua sustained a broken nose in his fight with Henderson that required surgery.[41]

On 29 October 2014, it was announced that Rua would coach opposite Anderson Silva for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4, which began filming in early 2015. Despite being coaches on the show, the two fighters will not face each other at the end of the season.[42]

In September 2014, Rua revealed that he had signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.[43] Rua was expected to face Jimi Manuwa on 8 November 2014 at UFC Fight Night 56.[44] However, on 29 October, it was revealed that Manuwa was injured and was replaced by Ovince St. Preux.[45] Rua lost the fight via knockout at just 34 seconds into the first round, the fastest knockout loss of his career.[46]

Ten years after their first bout, Rua had a rematch against former opponent Antônio Rogério Nogueira on 1 August 2015 at UFC 190.[47] He won the fight by unanimous decision and both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors.[48][49]

A long discussed bout against Rashad Evans was rescheduled and was expected to take place on 16 April 2016 at UFC on Fox 19.[50] However, Rua was pulled from the fight on 9 March in favor of a matchup with Corey Anderson a couple of weeks later at UFC 198.[51][52] Rua was awarded a split decision victory.[53]

Rua next faced Gian Villante on 11 March 2017 at UFC Fight Night 106.[54] He won the fight via technical knock-out in the third round.[55]

A rematch with Ovince Saint Preux was expected to take place on 22 September 2017 at UFC Fight Night 117.[56] However, Rua pulled out of the fight as the event was approaching on 16 September and was replaced by returning veteran Yushin Okami.[57]

Rua was expected to face Volkan Oezdemir on 12 May 2018 at UFC Fight Night 129.[58] However it was reported on 13 April 2018 that Oezdemir was pulled from the event due to alleged visa issues restricting his travel to Chile.[59] The pairing was left intact and rescheduled for 22 July 2018 at UFC Fight Night 134,[60] However the bout was cancelled once again after promotion officials elected to pull Oezdemir from that fight in favor of a matchup against Alexander Gustafsson the following month at UFC 227.[61] He was replaced by Anthony Smith.[62] Rua lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[63]

Rua faced Tyson Pedro on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142.[64] He won the fight via technical knockout in round three, finishing Pedro with a flurry of strikes after Pedro suffered a leg injury and was unable to defend himself.[65][66] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[67]

Rua was expected to face Sam Alvey on 16 November 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 22.[68] However, Alvey was removed from the fight on 25 October due to a broken hand and was replaced by Paul Craig.[69][70] After three rounds, the back-and-forth fight was declared a split draw.[71]

A third bout with Antônio Rogério Nogueira was scheduled to take place on 9 May 2020 at UFC 250.[72] However, the bout was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bout eventually took place on 26 July 2020 at UFC on ESPN 14.[73] He won the fight via split decision.[74]

A rematch with Paul Craig took place on 21 November 2020 at UFC 255.[75] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two when he tapped to strikes for the second time in his career.[76]

Rua had a rematch against Ovince Saint Preux on 7 May 2022 at UFC 274.[77] He lost the fight via split decision.[78]

Rua faced Ihor Potieria on January 21, 2023, at UFC 283.[79] He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round and Rua announced his retirement during the post-fight interview.[80]

Hall of Fame

At UFC 301 on May 4, 2024, it was announced that Rua would be inducted into the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame under the Modern Wing.[25]

Personal life

[edit]

On 12 September 2007, Rua married physiotherapist Renata Ribeiro.[81] Their first child, a daughter, was born on 15 January 2010.[82]

Before becoming a fighter, Rua worked as a model in Brazil, doing books, pictures, and even fashion shows for brands.[83] Of this time, he once said "The first work is fight, and the second is model."[83]

Championships and achievements

[edit]

Mixed martial arts record

[edit]
Professional record breakdown
42 matches 27 wins 14 losses
By knockout 21 7
By submission 1 3
By decision 5 4
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 27–14–1 Ihor Potieria TKO (punches) UFC 283 21 January 2023 1 4:05 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss 27–13–1 Ovince Saint Preux Decision (split) UFC 274 7 May 2022 3 5:00 Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Loss 27–12–1 Paul Craig TKO (submission to punches) UFC 255 21 November 2020 2 3:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 27–11–1 Antônio Rogério Nogueira Decision (split) UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till 26 July 2020 3 5:00 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Draw 26–11–1 Paul Craig Draw (split) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré 16 November 2019 3 5:00 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 26–11 Tyson Pedro TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa 2 December 2018 3 0:43 Adelaide, Australia Performance of the Night.
Loss 25–11 Anthony Smith KO (elbow) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Smith 22 July 2018 1 1:29 Hamburg, Germany
Win 25–10 Gian Villante TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum 11 March 2017 3 0:59 Fortaleza, Brazil
Win 24–10 Corey Anderson Decision (split) UFC 198 14 May 2016 3 5:00 Curitiba, Brazil
Win 23–10 Antônio Rogério Nogueira Decision (unanimous) UFC 190 1 August 2015 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fight of the Night.
Loss 22–10 Ovince Saint Preux KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux 8 November 2014 1 0:34 Uberlândia, Brazil
Loss 22–9 Dan Henderson TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 23 March 2014 3 1:31 Natal, Brazil Fight of the Night.
Win 22–8 James Te Huna KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot 7 December 2013 1 1:03 Brisbane, Australia Knockout of the Night.
Loss 21–8 Chael Sonnen Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen 17 August 2013 1 4:47 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 21–7 Alexander Gustafsson Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz 8 December 2012 3 5:00 Seattle, Washington, United States
Win 21–6 Brandon Vera TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera 4 August 2012 4 4:09 Los Angeles, California, United States
Loss 20–6 Dan Henderson Decision (unanimous) UFC 139 19 November 2011 5 5:00 San Jose, California, United States Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year.
Win 20–5 Forrest Griffin KO (punches) UFC 134 27 August 2011 1 1:53 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss 19–5 Jon Jones TKO (punches and knees) UFC 128 19 March 2011 3 2:37 Newark, New Jersey, United States Lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 19–4 Lyoto Machida KO (punches) UFC 113 8 May 2010 1 3:35 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Knockout of the Night.
Loss 18–4 Lyoto Machida Decision (unanimous) UFC 104 24 October 2009 5 5:00 Los Angeles, California, United States For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 18–3 Chuck Liddell TKO (punches) UFC 97 18 April 2009 1 4:28 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Knockout of the Night.
Win 17–3 Mark Coleman TKO (punches) UFC 93 17 January 2009 3 4:36 Dublin, Ireland Fight of the Night.
Loss 16–3 Forrest Griffin Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 76 22 September 2007 3 4:45 Anaheim, California, United States
Win 16–2 Alistair Overeem KO (punches) PRIDE 33 24 February 2007 1 3:37 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 15–2 Kazuhiro Nakamura Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Shockwave 2006 31 December 2006 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 14–2 Kevin Randleman Submission (kneebar) PRIDE 32 21 October 2006 1 2:35 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–2 Cyrille Diabaté TKO (stomps) PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute 10 September 2006 1 5:29 Saitama, Japan Return to Middleweight (205 lb).
Loss 12–2 Mark Coleman TKO (broken arm) PRIDE 31 26 February 2006 1 0:49 Saitama, Japan Heavyweight debut.
Win 12–1 Ricardo Arona KO (punches) PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 28 August 2005 1 2:54 Saitama, Japan Won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix.
Win 11–1 Alistair Overeem TKO (punches) 1 6:42 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinal.
Win 10–1 Antônio Rogério Nogueira Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005 26 June 2005 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 9–1 Quinton Jackson TKO (soccer kicks) PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 23 April 2005 1 4:47 Osaka, Japan 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Opening Round.
Win 8–1 Hiromitsu Kanehara TKO (stomp) PRIDE 29 20 February 2005 1 1:40 Saitama, Japan
Win 7–1 Yasuhito Namekawa TKO (punches) PRIDE Bushido 5 14 October 2004 1 6:02 Osaka, Japan
Win 6–1 Akihiro Gono TKO (soccer kicks) PRIDE Bushido 2 15 February 2004 1 9:04 Kanagawa, Japan
Win 5–1 Akira Shoji KO (punches) PRIDE Bushido 1 5 October 2003 1 3:47 Saitama, Japan
Loss 4–1 Renato Sobral Submission (guillotine choke) IFC: Global Domination 6 September 2003 3 3:07 Denver, Colorado, United States IFC Light heavyweight Tournament Semifinal.
Win 4–0 Erik Wanderley TKO (punches) 2 2:54 IFC Light heavyweight Tournament Opening Round.
Win 3–0 Evangelista Santos TKO (punches) Meca World Vale Tudo 9 1 August 2003 1 9:22 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 2–0 Angelo de Oliveira TKO (soccer kicks) Meca World Vale Tudo 8 16 May 2003 1 0:55 Curitiba, Brazil
Win 1–0 Rafael Freitas KO (kick) Meca World Vale Tudo 7 8 November 2002 1 4:00 Curitiba, Brazil

[93]

Pay-per-view bouts

[edit]
No. Event Fight Date Venue City PPV Buys
1. UFC 104 Machida vs. Shogun October 24, 2009 Staples Center Los Angeles, California, United States 500,000[94]
2. UFC 113 Machida vs. Shogun 2 May 8, 2010 Bell Centre Montreal, Quebec, Canada 520,000[95]
3. UFC 128 Shogun vs. Jones March 19, 2011 Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey, United States 445,000[96]
4. UFC 139 Shogun vs. Henderson November 19, 2011 HP Pavilion San Jose, California, United States 290,000[97]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Maurício Rua ("Shogun") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Shogun vs. Saint Preux". UFC.com. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  3. ^ "The downfall of BTT and Chute Boxe". ESPN.com. 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
  4. ^ a b Andreas Brauning (24 March 2015). "To Recreate Glory Days, Shogun Returns to Master Cordeiro". fightland.vice.com.
  5. ^ "Antonio 'Nino' Schembri". BJJ Heroes. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b "NINJA AND SHOGUN INTERVIEW". PrideFC. 1 December 2005. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  7. ^ "MAURÍCIO RUA INTERVIEW". PrideFC. 27 December 2005. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Maurício Shogun e Murilo Ninja butt". Portal do VT. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 May 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007. I have been training a lot of Muay Thai, a lot of Jiu Jitsu, a lot of Wrestling
  9. ^ "Ninja e Shogun at Chute Boxe". Dailymotion. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  10. ^ "Mixed martial arts notebook Well-traveled UFC president has big plans for the sport". OregonLive.com. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007. Add UFC news: White recently signed Maurício 'Shogun' Rua, who [sic] current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson called the best fighter he'd ever faced. Rua (16–2) will make his UFC debut Sept. 22
  11. ^ "Nokaut's TOP 10 Fighter Rankings". Nokaut. 18 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 May 2007.
  12. ^ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". Sherdog. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  13. ^ "LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION Top 10 Ranking". Mmaweekly.com | Ufc and Mma News, Results, Rumors, and Videos. MMAWeekly.com. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  14. ^ "Shogun to Face Griffin, Not Machida". Nokaut.com. 19 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  15. ^ "UFC 134: Will Lightning Strike Twice for Forrest Griffin Against Shogun Rua?". Bleacher Report.
  16. ^ "Shogun goes under the knife". mmafrenzy. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  17. ^ "Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Looking Forward To New Camp". MMAFightLine. 28 January 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  18. ^ "Rua rewarded despite atrocious performance". 18 January 2009.
  19. ^ "WEC, Condit continue together". USATODAY.com. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  20. ^ "Rashad Evans hurt, Jon Jones now challenges Shogun Rua for title at UFC 128". mmajunkie.com. 5 February 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012.
  21. ^ "After "Rampage" Jackson declined, Jon Jones got UFC 128 title fight | MMAjunkie.com". Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  22. ^ "Shogun s'exprime après sa défaite : "Je suis dégoûté" (avec photos)". riddum.com. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  23. ^ "Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua Rematch to Take Place at UFC Rio Event". MMAfighting. 15 April 2011.
  24. ^ "UFC 139 bonuses: McDonald, Faber, Henderson, 'Shogun,' Silva, Le earn $70K awards". mmajunkie.com. 20 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.
  25. ^ a b Anderson, Jay (5 May 2024). "Shogun Rua Announced for UFC Hall of Fame's Modern Wing". Cageside Press. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Thiago Silva vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua likely at UFC 149 in Calgary". mmajunkie. 29 April 2012. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012.
  27. ^ "Thiago Silva out at UFC 149, UFC wants 'Shogun' Rua vs. Glover Teixeira". mmajunkie.com. 1 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  28. ^ Mrosko, Gene (6 June 2012). "New UFC on FOX 4 main event announced: Shogun Rua vs Brandon Vera". mmamania.com. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  29. ^ Steven Marrocco (4 August 2012). "UFC on FOX 4 results: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua stops Brandon Vera in main event war". mmajunkie.com.
  30. ^ "Report: Three Big fight Announcements For UFC On Fox 5: Ben Henderson Vs Nate Diaz, Rory MacDonald Vs B.J. Penn, And Mauricio Rua Vs Alexander Gustafsson". bloodyelbow.com. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  31. ^ "UFC on Fox 5 results: Alexander Gustafsson beats up Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua". mmajunkie.com. 8 December 2012.
  32. ^ Staff (3 June 2013). "Chael Sonnen reportedly replaces Nogueira, meets 'Shogun' Rua at UFC 161". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  33. ^ Staff (3 June 2013). "Visa issues reportedly scrap Sonnen-Rua at UFC 161, Jimmo-Pokrajac head to main". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  34. ^ Mike Bohn (4 June 2013). "Chael Sonnen vs Shogun Rua fight to serve as first-ever UFC on FOX Sports 1 main event on Aug. 17 in Boston". mmamania.com. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  35. ^ Franklin McNeil (19 August 2013). "Chael Sonnen submits Maurico Rua". espn.go.com.com. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  36. ^ Nick Walshaw (12 September 2013). "UFC star Mauricio Shogun Rua heading to Australia". dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  37. ^ FNA Staff (7 December 2013). "'Shogun' Rua knocks out James Te-Huna in the first at UFC Fight Night 33". fightnewsaustralia.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  38. ^ Staff (7 December 2013). "UFC Fight Night 33 bonuses: Rua, Silva and Hunt pick up $50,000 awards". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  39. ^ Guilherme Cruz (21 January 2014). "Dan Henderson, 'Shogun' Rua set to headline UFC Fight Night card in Brazil". MMAfighting.com. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  40. ^ Matt Erickson (23 March 2014). "UFC Fight Night 38 bonuses: Henderson wins $100,000, Rua, Pepey earn $50,000". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  41. ^ Dave Walsh (25 March 2014). "Shogun Rua to Have Surgery on Nose Within the Week". mmanuts.com. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  42. ^ "Anderson Silva, Maurcio 'Shogun' Rua named coaches for 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4'". mmajunkie.com. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  43. ^ Camila Mamede (22 September 2014). "UFC ignora derrota e Shogun comemora confiança e novo longo contrato" (in Portuguese).
  44. ^ Staff (5 September 2014). "Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Jimi Manuwa headlines UFC Fight Night 56 in Brazil". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  45. ^ Staff (29 October 2014). "Jimi Manuwa out at UFC Fight Night 56, Ovince Saint Preux now meets 'Shogun' Rua". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  46. ^ Steven Marrocco (9 November 2014). "UFC Fight Night 56 results: Ovince Saint Preux destroys Mauricio Rua in 34 seconds". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  47. ^ Jason Floyd (20 March 2015). "Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira II official for UFC 190". themmareport.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  48. ^ Ben Fowlkes (2 August 2015). "UFC 190 results: 'Shogun' Rua tops Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in rematch". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  49. ^ Tristen Critchfield (2 August 2015). "UFC 190 Bonuses: Rousey, 'Shogun', 'Rogerio', Maia earn $50K awards". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  50. ^ Guilherme Cruz (27 January 2016). "Rashad Evans vs. Shogun Rua targeted for UFC on FOX 19". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  51. ^ Staff (9 March 2016). "Glover Teixeira in for injured 'Shogun' Rua vs. Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 19 in Tampa". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  52. ^ Staff (15 March 2016). "'Shogun' Rua vs. Corey Anderson set for UFC 198 in Curitiba". sherdog.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  53. ^ Dave Doyle (14 May 2016). "UFC 198 results: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua takes questionable call over Corey Anderson". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  54. ^ Ariel Helwani (5 January 2017). "'Shogun' Rua vs. Gian Villante in the works for UFC Fight Night: Fortaleza". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  55. ^ Ben Fowlkes (11 March 2017). "UFC Fight Night 106 results: 'Shogun' Rua TKOs Gian Villante for first 3-fight streak in 10 years". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  56. ^ Tristen Critchfield (5 July 2017). "Ovince St. Preux-'Shogun' Rua rematch booked for UFC Fight Night in Japan on Sept. 23". sherdog.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  57. ^ Ben Fowlkes (16 September 2017). "'Shogun' Rua out, Yushin Okami in to face Ovince Saint Preux in UFC-Japan headliner". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  58. ^ "'Shogun' Rua vs. Volkan Oezdemir set for UFC Fight Night 129 in Chile". MMAjunkie. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  59. ^ "Volkan Oezdemir vs. 'Shogun' Rua pulled from UFC Chile". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  60. ^ Staff (23 April 2018). "Volkan Oezdemir vs. 'Shogun' rebooked, now headlines UFC Fight Night 134 in Hamburg". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  61. ^ "Volkan Oezdemir shifted to UFC 227 vs. Alexander Gustafsson; replacement needed for 'Shogun'". MMAjunkie. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  62. ^ "Anthony Smith steps in for Volkan Oezdemir against 'Shogun' Rua at UFC Hamburg". MMAjunkie. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  63. ^ Matt Erickson (22 July 2018). "UFC Fight Night 134 results: Anthony Smith destroys 'Shogun' Rua with brutal barrage". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  64. ^ Sherdog.com. "Light heavyweights 'Shogun' Rua, Tyson Pedro to Clash at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide". Sherdog. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  65. ^ Anderson, Jay (2 December 2018). "UFC Adelaide Results: Shogun Survives Early Storm, Finishes Tyson Pedro In Third". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  66. ^ Brendan Bradford (2 December 2018). "UFC Adelaide: Bad injury news but no excuses for Tyson Pedro". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  67. ^ a b Fuentes, Jon (2 December 2018). "UFC Adelaide Bonuses: Mauricio Rua Banks An Extra $50k". www.lowkickmma.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  68. ^ Jay Pettry (26 September 2019). "'Shogun' Rua vs. Sam Alvey slated for UFC Sao Paulo". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  69. ^ Staff (27 October 2019). "Sam Alvey: Broken hand behind 'heartbreaking' withdrawal vs. 'Shogun' Rua at UFC on ESPN+ 22". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  70. ^ Guilherme Cruz (29 October 2019). "'Shogun' Rua vs. Paul Craig announced for UFC Sao Paulo". mmafighting.com.
  71. ^ Doherty, Dan (16 November 2019). "UFC Sao Paulo Results: Shogun Rua and Paul Craig Fight to a Draw". Cageside Press. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  72. ^ Guilherme Cruz and Damon Martin (20 February 2020). "UFC adds 'Shogun' Rua vs. Rogerio Nogueira trilogy to UFC 250". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  73. ^ Shelton, Cole (5 June 2020). "Shogun Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 3 Set For July 25". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  74. ^ Fuentes, Jon (25 July 2020). "UFC Fight Island 3 Results: Shogun Rua Earns Close Decision Over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira". Cageside Press. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  75. ^ Ariel Helwani (18 August 2020). "UFC books Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua-Paul Craig rematch for Nov. 21". ESPN.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  76. ^ Doherty, Dan (21 November 2020). "UFC 255 Results: Paul Craig Stops Shogun Rua, Settles Score". Cageside Press. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  77. ^ King, Nolan (25 February 2022). "Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Ovince Saint Preux to rematch at UFC 274".
  78. ^ Doherty, Dan (7 May 2022). "UFC 274: Ovince Saint Preux Wins Underwhelming Rematch Against Shogun Rua". Cageside Press. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  79. ^ Damon Martin (5 October 2022). "Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Ihor Potieria set for UFC 283 in Brazil". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  80. ^ Val Dewar (21 January 2023). "UFC 283: Ihor Potieria TKOs retiring Shogun Rua in legend's final fight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  81. ^ The Chute Boxe athlete had married in the last September first with the physiotherapist Renata Ribeiro in Maringá , Paraná state,
  82. ^ "Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Out of Shogun Rua UFC 161 Rematch Due to Injury". sports.yahoo.com. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  83. ^ a b Rua, Maurício (1 September 2011). "Photo Shoot". UFC Ultimate Insider (Interview). Interviewed by Seth Kelly, Editor in Chief of UFC Magazine. San Diego, California. {{cite interview}}: |interviewer= has generic name (help)
  84. ^ a b c d e f UFC.com (6 June 2023). "UFC Stats - Light Heavyweight Division". ufc.com.
  85. ^ Mike Bohn (8 October 2016). "UFC 204 pre-fight facts: Vitor Belfort out to reclaim spot atop UFC stoppage list". mmajunkie.com.
  86. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (11 July 2010). "2010 Unofficial Half-Year Awards - The Fighters". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  87. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (17 December 2009). "Ten Best - The Losses of 2009". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  88. ^ Erickson, Matt (1 December 2010). "World MMA Awards 2010 Winners". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  89. ^ a b Staff (1 January 2006). "SHERDOG.COM NAMES "SHOGUN" & GOMI 2005 FIGHTERS OF THE YEAR". sherdog.com. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  90. ^ Brian Knapp (1 October 2010). "SHERDOG.COM NAMES "SHERDOG'S 2009 AWARDS: THE COMPLETE LIST". sherdog.com.
  91. ^ "Imagining an MMA Hall of Fame: The Shoo-Ins - Mauricio Rua".
  92. ^ Meltzer, Dave (30 January 2012). "Jan 30 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Gigantic year-end awards issue, best and worst in all categories plus UFC on FX 1, death of Savannah Jack, ratings, tons and tons of news". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, CA. ISSN 1083-9593.
  93. ^ Sherdog.com. "Mauricio". Sherdog. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  94. ^ "UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun | MMA Event". Tapology.
  95. ^ "UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun 2 | MMA Event". Tapology.
  96. ^ "UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones | MMA Event". Tapology.
  97. ^ "UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson | MMA Event". Tapology.
[edit]
Preceded by 11th UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
8 May 2010 – 20 March 2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Pride FC Middleweight Tournament winner
28 August 2005