Shogun Rua: I am working towards beating Jon Jones in a rematch
It was recently announced that the man who wins most impressively amongst the two headlining Light Heavyweight bouts at UFC on Fox 4 will find himself in line for the next title shot versus the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. While this may have come as a bit of a surprise to many, it may also make the most sense for the UFC in terms of drawing power and excitement, something the promotion has been lacking recently. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is set to face Brandon Vera in the main event this Saturday, August 4th, and spoke to Yahoo.com about his title aspirations and a possible rematch with Jon Jones. He made his plans clear by saying:
“That’s the fight I want. I want my title back. I think he is much easier to study Jon Jones now… last time the guy was a brand new style in the UFC. Now we’ve seen him fight other guys and have more information what he’s going to do in the Octagon. I am working towards beating him in a rematch.”
After all, Jones did wrest the title from Shogun in a returning bout from ACL surgery for Rua. Perhaps we did not see the best version of Shogun that night in early 2011, but Jones was no doubt on point that evening. Shogun may bring an interesting point to light, noting that Jones was a largely unstudied animal and no one had figured him out to that point. However, no one has figured out the enigma of Jones to this day. His fight with legend Dan Henderson September 1st may gauge how great he truly is, but for now he looks almost unbeatable. Rua continued on, commenting on his huge opportunity come Saturday:
“I was very excited to hear that from Dana. From what I understand I have to be impressive and that is very motivating for me to put on a huge victory and beat Brandon Vera. It will be a great Muay Thai war!”
Shogun Rua appears ready for what appears to be a chance at another shot at the UFC 205 lb. crown. He has always been one of the most exciting fighters in MMA, with serious injuries being his only detractor. Former rival Lyoto Machida will fight Ryan Bader in the co-main event on Saturday, perhaps notching another shot at Jones should he win impressively with a Henderson loss as well. Machida is noting for being the only man to win a round from Jones, hitting him cleanly but ultimately being choked unconscious. One thing is for certain, Jon Jones is quickly cleaning out his division. That could all change with one H-Bomb on the night of September 1st, but the odds are against it. A Shogun vs. Henderson rematch for the title would be huge as well. Who will face the winner of Jones vs. Henderson? Who stands the best chance of dethroning the dominant Jones?
Further Reading: Does Rua, Machida, or Bader deserve a title shot with an impressive victory?
It was recently announced that the man who wins most impressively amongst the two headlining Light Heavyweight bouts at UFC on Fox 4 will find himself in line for the next title shot versus the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. While this may have come as a bit of a surprise to many, it may also make the most sense for the UFC in terms of drawing power and excitement, something the promotion has been lacking recently. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is set to face Brandon Vera in the main event this Saturday, August 4th, and spoke to Yahoo.com about his title aspirations and a possible rematch with Jon Jones. He made his plans clear by saying:
“That’s the fight I want. I want my title back. I think he is much easier to study Jon Jones now… last time the guy was a brand new style in the UFC. Now we’ve seen him fight other guys and have more information what he’s going to do in the Octagon. I am working towards beating him in a rematch.”
After all, Jones did wrest the title from Shogun in a returning bout from ACL surgery for Rua. Perhaps we did not see the best version of Shogun that night in early 2011, but Jones was no doubt on point that evening. Shogun may bring an interesting point to light, noting that Jones was a largely unstudied animal and no one had figured him out to that point. However, no one has figured out the enigma of Jones to this day. His fight with legend Dan Henderson September 1st may gauge how great he truly is, but for now he looks almost unbeatable. Rua continued on, commenting on his huge opportunity come Saturday:
“I was very excited to hear that from Dana. From what I understand I have to be impressive and that is very motivating for me to put on a huge victory and beat Brandon Vera. It will be a great Muay Thai war!”
Shogun Rua appears ready for what appears to be a chance at another shot at the UFC 205 lb. Crown. He has always been one of the most exciting fighters in MMA, with serious injuries being his only detractor. Former rival Lyoto Machida will fight Ryan Bader in the co-main event on Saturday, perhaps notching another shot at Jones should he win impressively with a Henderson loss as well. Machida is noting for being the only man to win a round from Jones, hitting him cleanly but ultimately being choked unconscious. One thing is for certain, Jon Jones is quickly cleaning out his division. That could all change with one H-Bomb on the night of September 1st, but the odds are against it. Who will face the winner of Jones vs. Henderson? Who stands the best chance of dethroning the dominant Jones?
