| Maurício Rua | |
|---|---|
 Rua in 2006 | |
| Born | Maurício Milani Rua[1] (1981-11-25)25 November 1981 (age 43) Curitiba, Brazil |
| Nickname | Shogun |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) |
| Division | Light heavyweight Heavyweight |
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm)[2] |
| Fighting out of | Curitiba, Brazil |
| Team | Chute Boxe Academy (until 2008) Universidade Da Luta (2008–present) Kings MMA (2014–present)[3] |
| Rank | Black prajied inMuay Thai[4] Black belt inBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4] underAntônio "Nino" Schembri[5] |
| Years active | 2002–2023 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 42 |
| Wins | 27 |
| By knockout | 21 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Losses | 14 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Murilo Rua (brother) |
| Website | mauriciorua |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Maurício Milani Rua (Portuguese pronunciation:[mawˈɾisiuˈʁuɐ]; born 25 November 1981), also known asShogun, is a Brazilian professionalmixed martial artist. He competed in theLight Heavyweight division of theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a formerUFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2002, Rua is also the2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.
Rua was born on 25 November 1981 and raised inCuritiba, Brazil and is ofItalian, andPortuguese 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 inMuay Thai at the age of 15 andBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 17.[7] Rua followed his older brother in training at theChute 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]
Rua started his professional career atvale tudo events in Brazil, achieving three stoppages due to strikes, including a win over futureChute Boxe Academy teammateEvangelista 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 againstRenato Sobral with a guillotine in the third round.
Following his victory in the IFC tournament, Shogun made his way to Japan to enter thePRIDE organization. He made his PRIDE debut at the inauguralPRIDE Bushido 1, a side promotion for lighter fighters. In his three Bushido appearances, Rua defeatedAkira Shoji,Akihiro Gono, andYasuhito Namekawa, all by strikes in the first round.
Rua graduated to his debut in a main PRIDE event atPRIDE 29, where he faced former professional wrestlerHiromitsu Kanehara, a Japanese fighter known for his toughness. Rua defeated Kanehara by stomps early in the first round.
He entered thePRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix tournament as an underdog. For the first round of the tournament atPRIDE Total Elimination 2005, he facedQuinton Jackson, whom he had challenged after Jackson won a controversial split decision overMurilo Rua atPRIDE 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 atPRIDE Critical Countdown 2005, Rua facedAntônio Rogério Nogueira, a member of Chute Boxe's rival academyBrazilian Top Team. Rua defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision. On 28 August 2005, Rua participated inPRIDE Final Conflict 2005, in which the last two bouts of the tournament were held on the same night. Rua defeatedAlistair Overeem byTKO in the first round, whileRicardo Arona defeated Rua's teammateWanderlei 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 the2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion. He received ablack belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu fromNino 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 fromSherdog.com.
In the next fight after his Grand Prix win, Shogun facedHeavyweight wrestling star andPRIDE Grand Prix 2000 ChampionMark Coleman atPRIDE 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.
AtPRIDE Final Conflict Absolute he defeatedFrenchkickboxerCyrille Diabate by tapout due tostomps. AtPride 32 he submitted formerUFC Heavyweight ChampionKevin Randleman with akneebar at 2:35 of the first round, the only submission victory of his career. In his finalPRIDE appearance atPride 33, he fought a rematch withAlistair 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 topLight heavyweight in the world by Nokaut,[11]Sherdog,[12] and MMAWeekly.com.[13]
After the UFC bought out PRIDE, Shogun signed on with the UFC and made his debut in the organization atUFC 76. FacingThe Ultimate Fighter 1 WinnerForrest 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 arear-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 inCuritiba.[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 ofUFC 85. He was granted a rematch withMark Coleman atUFC 93 inDublin. 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 atUFC 97 inMontreal against former longtimeUFC Light heavyweight ChampionChuck Liddell. Rua won by KO due to strikes. With this victory, Rua returned to the top-ten rankings for theLight heavyweight division, and the UFC decided to put him next in line for a title shot.
AtUFC 104 Shogun lost by unanimous decision to UFC Light heavyweight ChampionLyoto Machida. All three judges scored the bout 48–47 in Machida's favor. Journalists and UFC PresidentDana White had scored the fight in Rua's favor.
Due to the controversy of theUFC 104 decision, a rematch was immediately announced and took place atUFC 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.
Rua's first title defense was scheduled on 19 March 2011 againstRashad Evans, who had won by unanimous decision overQuinton Jackson atUFC 114 on 29 May 2010. However, followingJon Jones's victory overRyan Bader atUFC 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 theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted and the fight was programmed forUFC 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 aflying 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 andground and pound and winning the fight via TKO in Round 3.
After the loss to Jones, Rua's rematch withForrest Griffin took place on 27 August 2011 atUFC 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 facedDan Henderson on 19 November 2011 atUFC 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 aFight 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 2018UFC Hall of Fame.[25]
Rua was expected to faceThiago Silva on 21 July 2012, atUFC 149.[26] However, Silva was forced out of the bout with an injury.[27]
Rua facedBrandon Vera on 4 August 2012, atUFC 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 facedAlexander Gustafsson on 8 December 2012, atUFC on Fox 5.[30] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[31]
Rua was expected to faceAntônio Rogério Nogueira in a rematch atUFC 161. However, Nogueira pulled out of the bout in the days leading up to the event citing a back injury. Perennial multi-divisional contenderChael Sonnen was briefly linked as a replacement for Nogueira[32] but eventually Rua was pulled from the event altogether.[33]
On 17 August 2013, atUFC Fight Night 26, Rua facedChael Sonnen in the main event.[34] He lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.[35]
Rua next facedJames Te Huna on 7 December 2013, atUFC Fight Night 33.[36] He won the fight via first round knockout.[37] The win also earned Rua his thirdKnockout of the Night bonus award.[38]
A rematch withDan Henderson took place on 23 March 2014 atUFC 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 thirdFight 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 oppositeAnderson Silva forThe 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 faceJimi Manuwa on 8 November 2014 atUFC Fight Night 56.[44] However, on 29 October, it was revealed that Manuwa was injured and was replaced byOvince 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 opponentAntônio Rogério Nogueira on 1 August 2015 atUFC 190.[47] He won the fight by unanimous decision and both participants were awardedFight of the Night honors.[48][49]
A long discussed bout againstRashad Evans was rescheduled and was expected to take place on 16 April 2016 atUFC on Fox 19.[50] However, Rua was pulled from the fight on 9 March in favor of a matchup withCorey Anderson a couple of weeks later atUFC 198.[51][52] Rua was awarded a split decision victory.[53]
Rua next facedGian Villante on 11 March 2017 atUFC Fight Night 106.[54] He won the fight via technical knock-out in the third round.[55]
A rematch withOvince Saint Preux was expected to take place on 22 September 2017 atUFC Fight Night 117.[56] However, Rua pulled out of the fight as the event was approaching on 16 September and was replaced by returning veteranYushin Okami.[57]
Rua was expected to faceVolkan Oezdemir on 12 May 2018 atUFC Fight Night 129.[58] However it was reported on 13 April 2018 that Oezdemir was pulled from the event due to allegedvisa issues restricting his travel toChile.[59] The pairing was left intact and rescheduled for 22 July 2018 atUFC 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 againstAlexander Gustafsson the following month atUFC 227.[61] He was replaced byAnthony Smith.[62] Rua lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[63]
Rua facedTyson Pedro on 2 December 2018 atUFC 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 thePerformance of the Night award.[67]
Rua was expected to faceSam Alvey on 16 November 2019 atUFC on ESPN+ 22.[68] However, Alvey was removed from the fight on 25 October due to a broken hand and was replaced byPaul Craig.[69][70] After three rounds, the back-and-forth fight was declared a split draw.[71]
A third bout withAntônio Rogério Nogueira was scheduled to take place on 9 May 2020 atUFC 250.[72] However, the bout was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The bout eventually took place on 26 July 2020 atUFC on ESPN 14.[73] He won the fight via split decision.[74]
A rematch withPaul Craig took place on 21 November 2020 atUFC 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 againstOvince Saint Preux on 7 May 2022 atUFC 274.[77] He lost the fight via split decision.[78]
Rua faced Ihor Potieria on January 21, 2023, atUFC 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
AtUFC 301 on May 4, 2024, it was announced that Rua would be inducted into the 2024UFC Hall of Fame under the Modern Wing.[25]
Rua was scheduled to come out of retirement to faceYoel Romero at ato be announced date and location.[81] However, Rua withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced byGegard Mousasi.[82]
On 12 September 2007, Rua married physiotherapist Renata Ribeiro.[83] Their first child, a daughter, was born on 15 January 2010.[84]
Before becoming a fighter, Rua worked as a model in Brazil, doing books, pictures, and even fashion shows for brands.[85] Of this time, he once said "The first work is fight, and the second is model."[85]
In 2020, Rua underwent a hair transplant procedure at Vinci Hair Clinic to address hair loss as he neared the end of his fighting career.[86]
| 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 (2011). |
| 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 theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 19–4 | Lyoto Machida | KO (punches) | UFC 113 | 8 May 2010 | 1 | 3:35 | Montreal,Quebec, Canada | Won theUFC 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 theUFC 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 |
| 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[104] |
| 2. | UFC 113 | Machida vs. Shogun 2 | May 8, 2010 | Bell Centre | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 520,000[105] |
| 3. | UFC 128 | Shogun vs. Jones | March 19, 2011 | Prudential Center | Newark, New Jersey, United States | 445,000[106] |
| 4. | UFC 139 | Shogun vs. Henderson | November 19, 2011 | HP Pavilion | San Jose, California, United States | 290,000[107] |
I have been training a lot of Muay Thai, a lot of Jiu Jitsu, a lot of Wrestling
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
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| Preceded by | 11thUFC Light Heavyweight Champion 8 May 2010 – 20 March 2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Pride FC Middleweight Tournament winner 28 August 2005 |
