Mauricio “Shogun” Rua To Fight James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33 in Brisbane

5615949016 1edae2acb5 zIt looks like former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is eager to prove his recent submission loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC Fight Night 26 was just a down moment. Rua has reportedly signed on to face James Te Huna at UFC Fight Night 33 from Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

Both fighters are badly in need of a win, as each tapped out to a guillotine choke in their last efforts. Te Huna was last seen being submitted by the surging Glover Teixeira at UFC 160. The announcement should serve as a solid co-main event for the card, which already features Mark Hunt vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

READ MORE:  Newcomer Igor Severino DQ'd for viciously biting André Lima in second round: UFC Vegas 89 Highlights

It should be a good fight for “Shogun,” who sits with a relatively unspectacular 5-6 record in the Octagon. True, he has fought a veritable who-who’s of champions inside the Octagon, including Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, and Dan Henderson, but the fact remains that he’s lost two in a row and his last win was a slugfest victory over the falling Brandon Vera.

For Te Huna, it could be a signature win that puts him on the map. The Australian striker has knockout power to blast anyone, but his ground game is definitely suspect. He’s a step down in competition for Rua and will likely be a heavy underdog once the odds for the December 7th contest are announced.

READ MORE:  Jake Gyllenhaal reveals Conor McGregor punched him 'right in the face' during late-night Road House shoot

“Shogun” is a legend of MMA and appears to have a lot of fight left in him. But is there much of a point for him to face off against mid-tier fighters that present lose-lose propositions for him? A win over Te Huna won’t likely do much in terms of a rankings boost, but could have him back on the winning track.

5627088252 0ef4783e32 z