Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is currently 1-1 since coming into the UFC, but he plans to get a win streak going after attaining his first victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 93. Although he wasn’t too thrilled with his performance against Coleman, Shogun plans on fixing some of the holes in his game as as he prepares for the hard-hitting and always dangerous Chuck “Iceman” Liddell.
The 27-year old Brazilian respects the former UFC light heavyweight champion and is fully aware of what Liddell always brings to the cage. However, he seems to be a lot more motivated after reuniting with his former teammate Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva at his gym in Las Vegas. Silva invited him over to train at his new gym, but Shogun managed to stay for just a week because he plans on being within the same city that UFC 97 takes place in— Montreal, Canada.
Snip from Shogun as he talks about his recent fight with Mark Coleman and training with Wanderlei Silva (props to tatame.com):
“I’m training hard and very focused, thank God. I have to be well trained and focused to face him (Chuck Liddell), and that is what I’m doing. I’m doing Boxing, Wrestling, my complete training, everything that involves MMA. A fight is a fight, of course I’m making my plans, but we’re still building the strategy…Wanderlei (Silva) is a great friend. I was in Las Vegas for a week and we spoke a lot, and I just won’t go there before the fight because it is in Montreal. If (the fight) were in Las Vegas, I would stay with his team, so we could train and help each other…we (Shogun and Silva) talked about this and he said that Liddell is a good fighter, hits hard, but said that, if I go there focused and with gas, I win this fight…of course I was happy with the victory (against Mark Coleman), but I wasn’t happy with my performance. I can be better than I was in this fight. I wasn’t happy happy with my performance and I will turn this around, give the best of me in the next (fight against Chuck Liddell). I know my potential and I know where I can go… I don’t think about the belt now, I only think in Liddell, he deserves respect. I just think in this fight. Surely this is a fight that will put me forward, but I don’t believe in a belt yet.”
