Shogun Rua’s Manager Says He Won’t Retire, Should Return At Catchweight

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Ovince St. Preux in the main event of last weekend’s (November 8, 2014) UFC Fight Night 56 from Uberlandia, Brazil.

The loss predictably had many calling for Rua’s retirement from the sport, as devastating knockout losses, brutal wars, and debilitating injuries had clearly taken a toll on his declining skills.

Others still called for Rua to instead re-invent himself at 185 pounds, as the fighters at light heavyweight had simply gotten too big for him. On this evening’s (November 12, 2014) UFC Tonight, Ariel Helwani revealed that could happen for Rua, but not without a potential fight at a catchweight first:

“I spoke to his manager Eduardo Alonso who told me that, right now, Shogun is feeling pretty bad about the loss. The thing that frustrates him the most sis that he really couldn’t show everything he had been preparing for in the months leading up to this fight. I mean, he only had thirty-something seconds to actually get in the cage with “OSP,” and if he would have had a fight that would’ve lasted two or three rounds, at least he could have left with his head held high.

So right now, he’s saying that Shogun is just taking some time off, he’s with his family, and of course he’s preparing to be a coach on TUF Brazil alongside Anderson Silva but he said that he doesn’t believe Shogun Rua is going to retire. He believes that Shogun Rua still very much wants to continue fighting, and his recommendation will be this: he wants Shogun Rua to fight, the next time out, at a catchweight of around 195; we’ve seen this with the likes of Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva.

And then, he wants Shogun Rua to fighting at middleweight, at 185 pounds. He said that if can commit himself to fighting at middleweight, he thinks he can re-invigorate his career and he can really make another run at this whole thing. So that’s his recommendation, and it doesn’t sound like anyone in the Shogun Rua camp is thinking about retirement despite the fact that that was one of his worst performances ever.”

A catch weight bout could be a god idea for Rua as he attempts to eventually cut down to middleweight, but it’s tough to say exactly whom he would fight at 195 pounds.

Although his abilities have definitely declined in recent years, he’s still a former champion and legend who could bring significant notoriety to a fighter’s career. Would you want to see Shogun fight at a catchweight, and if so, against who?

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