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Maurício Rua

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Template:MMAstatsbox Mauricio Milani "Shogun" Rua (born November 25, 1981[1] in Curitiba, Brazil) is a Tomato Can, and the winner of the PRIDE Fighting Championships' 2005 Middleweight (205lb) Grand Prix. He holds notable wins over Ricardo Arona, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Kazuhiro Nakamura and is known for his aggressive fighting style and excellent versatility.

Rua fights out of Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil, a Muay Thai training group which features fighters such as Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva and Evangelista Santos. Rua and his older brother Murilo "Ninja" Rua, a fellow Chute Boxe member, are very close,[2] and Mauricio states it was a dream of his for the two to be able to fight on the same card.[2] Mauricio is known for being an example of the new wave of MMA fighters, having mastered both striking skills and having a very well developed ground game. He has received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Nino Schembri[3] and in Muay Thai from Rafael Cordeiro.[citation needed]

MMANews, MMAWeekly, Nokaut, and Sherdog currently rank Rua as the number one light heavyweight in the world.[4][5][6]

Biography

Rua was born on November 25 1981 in Curitiba, Brazil. His family also lives in Curitiba. His father is a successful businessman that runs his own business. His mother was a track athlete and is currently a marathon runner. The Rua brothers also run marathons sometimes.[7] He has two brothers, his older brother, Murilo (born 1980) and his younger brother, Marco "Shaolin" Rua[7]. Marco is also a mixed martial artist and Marco is currently training at Chute Boxe, though not at a professional level like his older brothers.

On September 1, 2007, Rua married physiotherapist Renata Riberio.[8]

Martial arts background

Rua began training martial arts with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of six and Muay Thai at seven, at which he became 10-0.[9] He was very successful in BJJ championships at the Blue and Purple belt level. Rua followed his older brothers' footsteps after Murilo started training in Muay Thai with the Chute Boxe Academy. In addition to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he also currently trains in wrestling and western boxing.[10][11]

Meca World Vale Tudo

Rua started his career at the Meca World Vale Tudo event in Brazil. On his debut, Rua fought Rafael Capoeira, knocking him out with a head kick in the first round. At Meca World Vale Tudo 9, Shogun fought and beat current teammate Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. The fight was very fast paced and "Cyborg" had Rua in trouble on his feet, forcing him to take the fight to the ground and finish it with punches from the mount, after Santos defended plenty of submission attempts.

IFC

Rua's first loss came at the hands of Renato "Babalu" Sobral during the IFC tournament "Global Domination" on September 6, 2003 by submission (guillotine choke). Though the fight was very even, Rua was caught in a guillotine in the third round. "Babalu" had to fight for nearly two minutes in order to adjust the guillotine and get "Shogun" to tap out. Earlier that night, "Shogun" showed great ground skills escaping submission after submission attempt from Eric Wanderlei. Early in the second round, Rua knocked Wanderlei out with punches to the face.

PRIDE Fighting Championship

File:Susumu05.png
Mauricio Rua attacking Hiromitsu Kanehara with a flying stomp. Rua has exhibited noted ability with his kicks and stomps against grounded opponents from his early fights on.[12]

Rua exhibited a great ground game in his early fights in PRIDE,[13] but defeated his first five opponents in the first rounds with punches, stomps, and soccer kicks. Rua moved on from his PRIDE Bushido fights to the larger PRIDE 29 with his match against Hiromitsu Kanehara, going in referred to by the commentators as the "heir apparent" to famed teammate Wanderlei Silva.[14] He won with soccer kicks and stomps to the face at 1:40 in the first round, with the commentators noting that even famed 225 lb. striker Mirko Cro-cop wasn't able to take out Kanehara in a full fight.[15]

Rua then entered the PRIDE 2005 205 lb. Grand Prix tournament as a heavy underdog. His first opponent would be Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, whom he had challenged after Jackson won a controversial split decision over his brother, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, at the previous PRIDE event, PRIDE 29. Jackson had been the runner-up in the PRIDE 2003 205 lb. Grand Prix, but Mauricio dominated the favored fighter from beginning to end, breaking Jackson's ribs with knee strikes and ending the fight with soccer kicks to the face in the first round. Jackson has stated that Rua is the best fighter he has ever fought.[16]

Rua's next fight in the tournament would be against rival academy Brazilian Top Team member Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. In one of the most exciting bouts of 2005, where each contestant scored a knock down on the other, Rua was able to edge out a unanimous decision against Nogueira. On August 28, 2005, "Shogun" cemented his place in MMA history when he won the 2005 Grand Prix tournament by defeating Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona, both by TKO in the first round.

Rua came back at PRIDE 31 where he suffered his second loss, now at the hands of Heavyweight Mark Coleman. The fight was stopped when Rua dislocated his elbow following a takedown by Coleman in which he landed awkwardly. Rua has repeatedly expressed interest in a rematch with Coleman.

After the elbow injury, Rua returned to the ring on September 10, 2006 to face French striker Cyrille Diabate. Rua defeated Diabate via TKO (stomps). On October 21, 2006, Rua defeated former UFC champion Kevin Randleman with a kneebar two minutes into the first round. After PRIDE 32 Rua said that he wants to fight in the Middleweight GP in 2007, and fight as a Heavyweight in 2008[17], however it is unknown how likely that scenario would be following Zuffa Inc. purchasing PRIDE. On December 31, 2006, at PRIDE Shockwave 2006, Rua defeated Kazuhiro Nakamura by unanimous decision after out-grappling the Olympic judoka. His last fight was a knockout victory at PRIDE 33 in a rematch against Dutchman Alistair Overeem.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After the sale of PRIDE FC, Rua signed a deal with the UFC, and made his debut for the organization at UFC 76 against the winner of the The Ultimate Fighter 1, Forrest Griffin.[16][18]. At UFC 76, Rua lost to Griffin via rear naked choke in round 3, with only 15 seconds left in the fight. It is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in MMA history.

Mixed martial arts record

As of September 2007, Rua has compiled a professional record of 16 wins and 3 losses, with 13 wins by knockout and one by submission.[19]

Professional record breakdown
19 matches 16 wins 3 losses
By knockout 13 1
By submission 1 2
By decision 2 0
Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
xLoss United States GriffinForrest Griffin Submission (rear naked choke) UFC 76: Knockout Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 3 4:45 United States Anaheim, United States
Win Netherlands Overeem 2Alistair Overeem KO (strikes) PRIDE 33: Second Coming Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 3:37 United States Las Vegas, United States
Win Japan NakamuraKazuhiro Nakamura Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Shockwave 2006 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 3 5:00 Japan Saitama, Japan
Win United States RandlemanKevin Randleman Submission (kneebar) PRIDE 32: The Real Deal Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 2:35 United States Las Vegas, United States
Win France Diabate Cyrille Diabate TKO (stomps) PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 5:29 Japan Saitama, Japan
xLoss United States ColemanMark Coleman TKO (elbow dislocation) PRIDE 31 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 0:49 Japan Saitama, Japan
Win Brazil AronaRicardo Arona KO (strikes) PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 2:54 Japan Saitama, Japan Won PRIDE 2005 93 kg Grand Prix
Win Netherlands Overeem 1Alistair Overeem TKO (strikes) PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 6:42 Japan Saitama, Japan
Win Brazil Nogueira Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 3 5:00 Japan Saitama, Japan
Win United States JacksonQuinton Jackson TKO (knees) PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 4:47 Japan Osaka, Japan
Win Japan KaneharaHiromitsu Kanehara TKO (soccer kicks) PRIDE 29 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 1:40 Japan Saitama, Japan
Win Japan NamekawaYasuhito Namekawa TKO (punches) PRIDE Bushido 5 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 6:02 Japan Osaka, Japan
Win Japan GonoAkihiro Gono TKO (soccer kicks) PRIDE Bushido 2 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 9:04 Japan Yokohama, Japan
Win Japan Shoji Akira Shoji KO PRIDE Bushido 1 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 3:47 Japan Saitama, Japan
xLoss Brazil SobralRenato Sobral Submission (guillotine choke) IFC - Global Domination Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 3 3:07 United States Denver, United States
Win Brazil WanderleiEric Wanderlei TKO (punches) IFC - Global Domination Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 2 2:54 United States Denver, United States
Win Brazil SantosEvangelista Santos TKO (punches) Meca World Vale Tudo 9 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 3 N/A Brazil Curitiba, Brazil
Win Brazil AntonioAngelo Antonio TKO (soccer kicks) Meca World Vale Tudo 8 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 0:55 Brazil Curitiba, Brazil
Win Brazil CapoeiraRafael Capoeira KO (kick) Meca World Vale Tudo 7 Error in Template:Date table sorting: days must be an integer between 1 and 31 1 4:00 Brazil Curitiba, Brazil

Championships and accomplishments

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Status Date Championship Weight Location
Winner ? Brazilian Jiu Jitsu South American Championship[20] 80 kg Brazil Brazil
5th ? Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Mundial Championship[20] 80 kg Brazil Brazil

Muay Thai

Status Date Championship Weight Location
Winner 2003 STORM Muay Thai[21] Middleweight Brazil Curitiba, Brazil

Mixed Martial Arts

Status Date Championship Weight Location
Winner 2005 PRIDE Grand Prix Tournament Middleweight Japan Saitama, Japan

Honorary titles and apellations

  • Sherdog 2005 Fighter of the year[22]
  • Full Contact Fighter #1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World[23]
  • MMA Weekly 2007 #1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sherdog.com Profile". Sherdog. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Speaks" Interview with Eduardo Alonso". Subfighter. July 22, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-13. Man, I think I get more nervous watching my brother fight. It's the same with him. When I was warming up before my last fight, he started to get emotional and almost cried. That's how much we care for each other."
    "I believe that was one more dream that I could achieve, as I always wanted to fight in the same card as my brother. I expect to be able to do it again many times in the future. I try to help my brother as much as I can, but he certainly helps me much more being more experienced. I also think it's good that we fight on the same card cause this would make fans card for us even more I believe."     {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 218 (help)
  3. ^ "Shogun gets the black belt". Graciemag. October 17, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION Top 10 Ranking". MMAWeekly. August 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". MMAWeekly. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Nokaut's TOP 10 Fighter Rankings". Nokaut. August 18, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b "NINJA AND SHOGUN INTERVIEW". PrideFC. December 1, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ The Chute Boxe athlete had married in the last September first with the physiotherapist Renata Riberio in Maringa , Paraná state,
  9. ^ Commentator Mauro Ranallo, at 0:15 of round 1 of Mauricio Rua vs. Hiromitsu Kanehara, PRIDE 29. "Shogun started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of six, Muay Thai at seven. Was 10 and 0 in Muay Thai."
  10. ^ "Mauricio Shogun e Murilo Ninja". Portal do VT. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. I have been training a lot of Muay Thai, a lot of Jiu Jitsu, a lot of Wrestling {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Ninja e Shogun at Chute Boxe". Dailymotion. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ In the above match, commentator Bas Rutten states Rua's skill against grounded opponents owes to Chute Boxe's specific training practice of attacking padded, grounded training partners.
  13. ^ During the English broadcast, MMA legend Royce Gracie stated that Rua has a very good ground game.
  14. ^ Mauro Ranallo: "He's a well-versed Muay Thai fighter, well-versed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and really, a lot of people feel he is indeed the heir apparent to Wanderlei Silva." Bas Rutten: "Yes, and that's including me."
  15. ^ Bas Rutten, PRIDE 29. "I mean, Cro-cop could not take him out ... in a full fight! And now, he just demolishes him."
  16. ^ a b "Mixed martial arts notebook Well-traveled UFC president has big plans for the sport". OregonLive.com. June 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. Add UFC news: White recently signed Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who 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 {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Exclusive Interview: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua". MMA365. October 13, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-13. My plans include get better and fight the middleweight GP in 2007 and I am the owner of the belt and I will do everything to retain it. But my plans also include fighting as a heavyweight in 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Shogun to Face Griffin, Not Machida". Nokaut.com. 2007-07-19. Retrieved 2007-07-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: Professional fight record". Sherdog.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  20. ^ a b "MAURICIO RUA INTERVIEW". PrideFC. December 27, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Figher->Premiações:". Mauricio Shogun Official Website. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "Sherdog.com Names "Shogun" & Gomi 2005 Fighters of the Year". Sherdog.com. January 1, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "FULL CONTACT FIGHTER WORLD RANKINGS". FCFighter. August 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ "MMAWEEKLY WORLD MMA RANKINGS UPDATED". MMAWeekly. June 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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