Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is happy to be riding a three fight win-streak in the UFC and is no rush to campaign for a title shot.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion of the world is now 35-25-10 in the promotion he joined in 2007. With experience very much on his side, Rua claims that its the patience learned over years of professional competition which was key to his knockout victory over Gian Villante at UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza, Brazil, on Saturday night.
Despite hurting his opponent in the first round, “Shogun” remained calm and waited for the perfect time to capitalise:
“I always try to evolve as an athlete, the cardio and technique, and I ask God a lot before the fight to be patient,” Rua said at the post-fight press conference. “The calmer I am, the better I fight. Sometimes you’re too nervous you use your strength more than you need.”
Rua is also remaining patient in his pursuit of another shot at the title he lost to former champion Jon Jones in his first title defence in 2011:
“It was my 35th fight. I face every fight as a dream,” Rua said. “The UFC is the World Cup of MMA and the best fighters are in the UFC, so every fight is a war. Every fight is a dream come true for me. Every fight gets me closer to the belt. My biggest dream is the belt. I’ve accomplished my mission now, so it’s time to come back home and rest.”
“I would be an hypocrite if I said I’ll be next [in line]. For sure, it has to be the winner of Glover [Teixeira] and [Alexander] Gustafsson. They are ahead of me, and the winner deserves to fight for the belt.”
