10 Questions for Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua

Though the sun long ago began to set on the career of one of the all-time greats, Mauricio Rua still believes he has a little more to give.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder will return to the cage for the first time in more than a year when he rematches Ovince St. Preux in a UFC 274 light heavyweight showcase on Saturday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Rua suffered a 34-second knockout loss to St. Preux in 2014. Now 40 years of age, “Shogun” has compiled a 5-2-1 record across his eight appearances since. He last competed at UFC 255, where Paul Craig struck him into submission in the second round of their Nov. 21, 2020 encounter.

In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Rua discusses his unforgettable run in Pride Fighting Championships, his decision to venture into the business world and his motivations at this late stage of his remarkable career:

Sherdog.com: It has been almost 20 years since your mixed martial arts debut. What do you remember about the experience?

Rua: I actually started fighting because of my brother [Murilo Rua]. He encouraged me. My professional debut was against Rafael Freitas, who was already pretty experienced. He was a jiu-jitsu brown belt. He had good muay Thai. I was a novice. I was simply “Ninja’s brother.” I was very nervous, but thank God I was able to put my gameplan into action and walk away with a victory. I started out on the right foot.

Sherdog.com: Before you joined Pride, your only loss had been to Renato Sobral and you had won a war against Evangelista Santos. Can you talk about those fights?

Rua: Without a doubt, my fight against “Cyborg” was my first classic. Back then, nobody wanted to face him. He had a hard time getting booked. He’d annihilate guys in seconds. I had just knocked out Angelo Antonio de Oliveira [in the Meca World Vale Tudo promotion], and he had recently knocked out my training partner Silvio de Souza in about 10 seconds. Thankfully, I was able to get my game going against him and got the win.

Sherdog.com: Your sixth bout was your Pride debut, which resulted in you knocking out Akira Shoji. During your initial five-fight knockout streak in the promotion, Cristiano Marcello mentioned that he and your other cornermen were having a lot of fun. This was especially true against Hiromitsu Kanehara and Yasuhito Namekawa since everything you did in the ring was so aggressive and dominant. What details do you recall?

Rua: Namekawa was a very tough fighter from Japan. Thankfully, I did very well in that fight. It’s always interesting that in Japan, even in a packed stadium, you could still talk to your corner. I would often talk to my cornermen: master Rafael [Cordeiro], my brother and Cristiano. That particular fight was funny because they were laughing and goofing around in the corner, telling me to beat up “that scoundrel.” Cristiano talked about it recently. I fully respect Namekawa, but this actually did happen.

Sherdog.com: Which current fighters do you take the time to watch?

Rua: From the new generation, I enjoy watching Charles Oliveira. I believe he’s one of the most complete MMA fighters today. His ground work and muay Thai are super good. I always look forward to his fights.

Sherdog.com: You went 12-1 in Pride, with your one loss coming to Mark Coleman when you broke your arm during a takedown. You were considered the best fighter in the world in your weight class during that time. What are some of your best recollections?



Rua: Pride was the world’s top promotion back then. I have a lot of love for Pride. It was the organization that launched my career in the MMA world. I have a lot of love for the people at Pride and Japan, in general. I’m very thankful. They’re all good memories.

Sherdog.com: You participated in and won the Pride middleweight grand prix in 2005. Rudimar Fedrigo supposedly stated that you had decided not to face your teammate Wanderlei Silva had you both advanced to the final. However, Silva lost to Ricardo Arona and you were able to represent your team in the final. What do you remember about that tournament?

Rua: I was very happy to win one of the few tournaments with 16 fighters. Most of them had eight fighters. Ours has 16 of the fighters who were considered truly the best in the world. I was very happy to have participated and to have become the eventual champion. People still talk about it today.

Sherdog.com: Pride also put together an openweight tournament. Is Fedor Emelianenko one of the heavyweight fighters you would have liked to have faced back then?

Rua: Pride had intended to put that fight together in 2006 after I went through the grand prix. Around that time, master Rudimar was managing my career. First, I was supposed to fight James Thompson, but that didn’t happen, so I fought Coleman as a heavyweight. There was the intent of having me face Fedor, too. It would have been a super difficult fight because, in my opinion, Fedor is one of the best fighters of all-time.

Sherdog.com: During your peak in Pride, you were extremely aggressive. You followed a path similar to Jose Landi-Jons and Wanderlei Silva, and most fight fans always admired that about you. How do you feel about being an inspiration to so many people?

Rua: I’m very happy for the positive messages I receive from my fans and for how well-received MMA is nowadays. When I got started, it was purely out of love. Back then, MMA wasn’t as big and there was no money in it. Just the opposite—there was a lot of prejudice against it. Today, I’m happy with how I’m treated by the fans. They are my biggest motivation. There’s nothing better than to be recognized for one’s work. Everyone wants that, no matter what profession you have. I get to do what I enjoy, I’m paid well and I’m treated nicely by my fans. My name is already in the history books. It makes me happy and proud to know that. When I decide to stop, I will feel I’ve reached my career goals.

Sherdog.com: You and your brother have opened multiple Shogun Team academies, and you have your own restaurant chain. Can you talk about doing things on the business side?

I’ve always looked for other sources of income. I first started Shogun Team so I could pass on my legacy. We had this idea after “Ninja” retired. I feel honored to have trained at Chute Boxe under master Rafael and master Rudimar. Their lessons have to be passed on. Today, thankfully, we are the number one martial arts academy in Brazil. We have 70 locations. It’s a big success. I’m [also] a partner in the Sr. Espetto kabob business. We have 106 franchises. It’s a big hit, too. I feel sure that God loves me. I’m very thankful to Him for everything that’s happened in my life.

Sherdog.com: From where do you draw your drive at this stage of your career?

Rua: The fans ultimately pay my salary, so they are my true motivation. I’m always looking for ways to make them happy with my performances.