Mauricio Rua hasn’t let the taste of defeat stop his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title holder will be in action tomorrow night (March 11). His opponent will be Gian Villiante. The two are going to share the Octagon as part of a UFC Fight Night event in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Rua recently discussed having respect for his opponent as well as not allowing losses to slow him down (via MMAJunkie.com):
“I respect my opponents, and (my opponents) respect me. I think it’s mutual. I never had any issues with anyone. I’ve fought for many years, and I know this sport faced a lot of prejudice at first. Many people used to look at it with different eyes. And there’s still some. So if we, the people who are in this sport, act like this, kind of like savages, I think this discrimination is going to keep happening. I’m a person who acts professionally, and my rivalry is only up there in the Octagon. (Losing is) always bad. Because you put months into the preparation, so losing really sucks. But, as a fighter, you need to be ready for wins and losses. If I wasn’t ready for it, I would have given up already. I think every fighter needs to know how to lose.”
