Coach: Shogun Rua Is Remembering Heavy Muay Thai
World renowned MMA (mixed martial arts) coach, from the respected Kings MMA, Rafael Cordeiro has seen two of his top prospects crowned UFC champion this year. First of all Rafael Dos Anjos upset Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title at UFC 185, then heavyweight Fabricio Werdum finished Cain Velasquez for the belt at UFC 188. Operating out of Hungtington Beach, California, the Cordeiro-ran gym houses ‘Vai Cavalo’, RDA, Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva and Shogun Rua among many other top UFC names.
The former Pride FC middleweight tournament winner and UFC light-heavyweight champion Rua has seen some tough times in the octagon lately, having suffered eight loss to his six wins, and four losses from his last five in the UFC. Equally brutal knockout losses against Dan Henderson and Ovince St Preux have seen Shogun’s record drop to 22-10. His coach believes that the travelled veteran has much more to offer though, and says that his rematch with Antonio Rogerio will see more of the old Muay Thai that Shogun became famous for in Japan. As per Bloodyelbow.com:
“”I’m happy to see how much trust people put in the work we do and how many people are sending messages of support to Shogun.” Cordeiro told Portal do Vale Tudo. “He was with me to help Werdum in Mexico and now we’re back here. It has been great. We have a lot of good guys over here and he’s training with all of them. He is developing his game again, that heavy Muay Thai game. We will do everything to put him back where he belongs. He’s a unique athlete, has a lot of knockout power. He is remembering Muay Thai, now, that heavy, pressuring Muay Thai.”
Shogun vs. Nogueira 2 will go down at UFC 190, with the youner of the Nog brothers also looking to bounce back from defeat. ‘Lil Nog’ hasn’t fought since being annihilated by Anthony Johnson in mid-2014. Although this fight has nothing to do with rankings, it is a fun throwback to the early days of mainstream MMA, and has significance in telling us which guy still belongs at the elite level.
Their first meeting at Pride Critical Countdown was widely regarded as the best fight of 2006, featuring the two top fighters in the weight class. Shogun shined that night in Saitama, but can he do the same in August at UFC 190?
If what Cordeiro says is true, there’s a big possibility that Rua wrecks Nogueira, equally ‘Nog’ might avenge his loss to Shogun if his old nemesis shows up true to recent form. It was heartbreaking watching Rua get squashed in such dominant fashion by, let’s face it, a fighter that the Brazilian would have swamped just a few years back.
What do you think, is Rua burnt out in the MMA world, or can he bring black the flaming glory of his prime?
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